was the 69th

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

(''Kunaichō'')
後朱雀天皇 (69)
/ref> according to the traditional

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Emperor Suzaku was the 61st emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 朱雀天皇 (61)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 930 through 946. Biography Before his ascension of the Chrys ...

and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Suzaku". The Japanese word "''go''" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Suzaku, the second" or as "Suzaku II."

Biography

Before his ascension to the

Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions, ...

, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Atsunaga''-shinnō'' (敦良親王). His father was

Emperor Ichijō was the 66th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 一条天皇 (66)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 986 to 1011. Biography Before he ascended to the Chrysanth ...

. His mother was

Fujiwara Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "''Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamatari ...

no Akiko/ Shōshi (藤原彰子), the daughter of

Fujiwara no Michinaga was a Japanese statesman. The Fujiwara clan's control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership. Early life Michinaga was born in Kyōto, the son of Kaneiye. Kaneiye had become Regent in 986, holding the position unti ...

(藤原道長). He was the younger brother and heir to

Emperor Go-Ichijō was the 68th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後一条天皇 (68)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 1016 through 1036. This 11th century sovereign was nam ...

. Go-Suzaku had five Empresses and seven Imperial children.Brown, p. 311.

Events of Go-Suzaku's life

* May 15, 1036 ('' Chōgen 9, 17th day of the 4th month'') : In the 9th year of Emperor Go-Ichijō's reign (後一条天皇九年), he died; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his son. * 1036 ('' Chōgen 9, 7th month''): Emperor Go-Suzaku is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). * February 5, 1045 (''

Kantoku was a after '' Chōkyū'' and before '' Eishō'', This period spanned the years from November 1044 through April 1046. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1044 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. ...

2, 16th day of the 1st month''): Emperor Go-Suzaku abdicated. * February 7, 1045 (''

2, 18th day of the 1st month''): The former-Emperor Go-Suzaku ordained as a Buddhist monk and died the same day at the age of 37. His reign has lasted nine years—five in the ''nengō'' ''Chōryaku'', four in ''Chōkyu'', and 2 in ''Kantoku''. The actual site of Go-Suzaku's

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

is unknown. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...

(''misasagi'') at Kyoto. The

designates this location as Go-Suzaku's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

. It is formally named ''Enjō-ji no misasagi''. Go-Suzaku is buried amongst the "Seven Imperial Tombs" at Ryōan-ji Temple in Kyoto. The specific mound which commemorates the Hosokawa Emperor Go-Suzaku is today named ''Shu-zan.''Moscher, G. (1978). ''Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide,'' pp. 277–278. The emperor's burial place would have been quite humble in the period after Go-Suzaku died. These tombs reached their present state as a result of the 19th century restoration of imperial sepulchers (''misasagi'') which were ordered by Emperor Meiji. The final resting place of Emperor Go-Suzaku's consort, Teishi Nai-shinnō (1013–1094), is here as well.

Kugyō

is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

in pre- Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Go-Suzaku's reign, this apex of the ''

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

included: * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...

'', Fujiwara Yorimichi, 992–1074. * ''

Udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administr ...

'', Fujiwara Sanesuke, 957–1046. * ''

Nadaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Tai ...

'', Fujiwara Norimichi, 997–1075. * ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

Eras of Go-Suzaku's reign

The years of Go-Suzaku's reign are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...

or ''

nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

''.Titsingh, p. 160-162. * '' Chōgen'' (1028–1037) * ''

Chōryaku was a after ''Chōgen'' and before ''Chōkyū.'' This period spanned the years from April 1037 through 1040. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1037 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ...

'' (1037–1040) * '' Chōkyū'' (1040–1044) * ''

'' (1044–1046)

Consorts and children

Empress (''kōgō''): Imperial

Princess Teishi , also known as , was an empress consort of Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan. She was the second cousin of her husband. Life She was the third daughter of Emperor Sanjō and the mother of Emperor Go-Sanjō. In 1023, she had her coming of age ceremo ...

(禎子内親王; 1013–1094) later Yōmeimon’in (陽明門院),

Emperor Sanjō was the 67th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 三条天皇 (67)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Sanjō's reign spanned the years from 1011 through 1016. Biography Before his ascension to the Chry ...

‘s 3rd daughter * First Daughter: Imperial Princess Nagako/''Ryōshi'' (良子内親王, 1029–1077) – Saiō at

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inner ...

1036–1045 (Ippon-Jusangū, 一品准三宮) * Second daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko/''Kenshi'' (娟子内親王, 1032–1103) – Saiin at Kamo Shrine 1036–1045, later married Minamoto Toshifusa * Second Son: Imperial Prince Takahito (尊仁親王) later

Emperor Go-Sanjo An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

Empress (''chūgū''):

Fujiwara no Genshi , born , was an empress consort ('' chūgū'') of Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan. She was the adopted daughter of Fujiwara no Yorimichi, and biological daughter of . Life Genshi's father Atsuyasu died in 1018. Her mother was the younger sister o ...

(藤原嫄子; 1016–1039), Imperial Prince Atsuyasu's daughter and

Fujiwara no Yorimichi (992–1071) was a Japanese court noble. He succeeded his father Michinaga to the position of Sesshō in 1017, and then went on to become Kampaku from 1020 until 1068. In both these positions, he acted as Regent to the Emperor, as many of his ...

‘s adopted daughter * Third Daughter: Imperial Princess Sukeko/''Yūshi'' (祐子内親王; 1038–1105) – (Sanpon-Jusangū, 三品准三宮) * Fourth Daughter: Imperial Princess Miwako/''Baishi'' (禖子内親王; 1039–1096) (Rokujō Saiin, 六条斎院) – Saiin at Kamo Shrine 1046–1058 Crown Princess (died before Emperor's accession): Fujiwara no Yoshiko (藤原嬉子; 1007-1025),

‘s 6th daughter * First Son: Imperial Prince Chikahito (親仁親王) later

Emperor Go-Reizei was the 70th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後冷泉天皇 (70)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Reizei's reign spanned the years 1045–1068. This 11th century sovereign was named after the ...

Consort (''Nyōgo''): Fujiwara no Nariko/''Seishi'' (藤原生子; 1014–1068),

Fujiwara no Norimichi , fifth son of Michinaga, was a kugyo of the Heian period. His mother was Minamoto no ''Rinshi'' (源倫子), daughter of Minamoto no Masanobu. Regent Yorimichi, Empress ''Shōshi'' (consort of Emperor Ichijō), Empress ''Kenshi'' (consort ...

‘s eldest daughter Consort (''Nyōgo''): Fujiwara no Nobuko/''Enshi'' (藤原延子; 1016–1095),

Fujiwara no Yorimune Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "''Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamatari ...

‘s 2nd daughter * Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess Masako/''Seishi'' (正子内親王; 1045–1114) (Oshinokōji-Saiin, 押小路斎院) – Saiin at Kamo Shrine 1058–1069

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press. ; * Moscher, Gouverneur. (1978). ''Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide.'' ; * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''
New York: Columbia University Press. ;