was the 80th

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 ...

, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.

Genealogy

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 Norihito''-shinnō'' (憲仁親王). He was also known as Nobuhito''-shinnō''. Takakura was the fourth son of

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''ins ...

, and thus uncle to his predecessor,

Emperor Rokujō was the 79th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Nobuhito''-sh ...

. His mother was Empress Dowager

Taira The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...

no Shigeko, the younger sister of Taira no Tokiko, the concubine of

Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first so ...

. His empress consort was

Taira no Tokuko The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...

(later Empress Dowager Kenrei), the regent of Taira no Kiyomori, and thus his first cousin (as his mother and Tokuko's mothers were sisters). * Empress consort: Taira no Tokuko (平徳子) – later Kenreimon-in ** First Son: Imperial Prince Tokihito (言仁親王) – later

Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the Imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Minamoto no Yo ...

* Lady-in-waiting: Bōmon Shokushi (坊門殖子; 1157–1228) later Shichijō-in (七条院), Bomon Nobutaka's daughter ** Second son: Imperial Prince Morisada (守貞親王; 1179–1223) – later Go-Takakura In (後高倉院) – father of

Emperor Go-Horikawa (March 22, 1212 – August 31, 1234) was the 86th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1221 CE through 1232 CE. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 10th-century Emperor ...

** Fourth son: Imperial Prince Takahira (尊成親王) – later

Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; an ...

* Consort: Konoe Michiko (近衛通子; b. 1163) or Rokujō-no-tsubone (六条局),

Konoe Motozane was a Japanese statesman, regent and '' kugyō'' during the late Heian period. He is the founder of the Konoe family and the father of Konoe Motomichi. Life and career Motozane was born in 1143, to his father Fujiwara no Tadamichi. Motozan ...

’s daughter. * Lady-in-waiting: Horikawa Toyoko (堀河豊子) or Azechi-Naishi (按察典侍), Horikawa Yorisada’s daughter ** Third daughter: Imperial Princess Kiyoko (潔子内親王; b. 1179) – Saigū of

Ise Ise may refer to: Places * Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie * Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria *Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan * River Ise, a tributary of th ...

* Court Lady: Taira no Noriko (平範子) or Shōshō-Naishi (少将内侍), Taira Yoshisuke’s daughter ** Third son: Imperial Prince Koreaki ( 惟明親王; 1172–1221) later Imperial Prince Priest Shōen (聖円入道親王) * Court Lady: Fujiwara Kimiko (藤原公子) or Sochi-no-Tsubone (帥局), Fujiwara no Kimishige’s daughter – former nanny of Takakura ** First daughter: Imperial Princess Isako (功子内親王; b. 1176) – Saigū of Ise * Court Lady: Kogō-no-Tsubone (小督局; b. 1157), Fujiwara no Shigenori’s daughter ** Second daughter: Imperial Princess Hanshi/ Noriko (範子内親王; 1177–1210) later Empress Dowager Bōmon-in (坊門院)

Events of Takakura's life

Although Takakura was formally enthroned, the reality was that government affairs were controlled by his father and his father-in-law. * 1168 (''

Nin'an , also known as Ninnan, was a after ''Eiman'' and before '' Kaō.'' This period spanned the years from August 1166 through April 1169. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 3, 1166 : The new era name was created to mark an ...

3, 19th day of the 2nd month''): In the 3rd year of Rokujō''-tennō''s reign (六条天皇3年), the emperor was deposed by his grandfather, and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his cousin, the third son of the retired-

. * 1168 (''Nin'an 3, 19th day of the 2nd month''): Emperor Takakura is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’), and he is proclaimed emperor. Takakura had his own views on the role of Emperor. He is said to have written: :"The Emperor is a ship. His subjects are water. The water enables a ship to float well, but sometimes the vessel is capsized by it. His subjects can sustain an Emperor well, but sometimes they overthrow him." Ex-Emperor Go-Shirakawa exercised the powers attendant the well-settled patterns of

cloistered rule was a form of government in Japan during the Heian period. In this bifurcated system, an emperor abdicated, but retained power and influence. Those retired emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries (''in'') continued to act in ways intended to ...

, who was the father of the Empress, did whatever he pleased as ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' Regent. * 1172 ('' Jōan 2, 10th day of the 2nd month''): Taira Kiyomori's daughter, Tokuko, becomes Takakura's consort. * May 27, 1177 (''

Jishō was a after '' Angen'' and before '' Yōwa''. This period spanned the years from August 1177 through July 1181. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1177 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The ...

1, 28th day of the 4th month''): A great fire in the capital was spread by high winds; and the palace was reduced to cinders. Letter by Emperor Takakura

* 1178 (''Jishō 2, 12th day of the 11th month''): Takakura's consort, Taira-no Tokuko, gave birth to a son. Kiyomori rejoiced; and all the officers of the court congratulated the parents. In the next month, this infant was declared heir to Emperor Takakura. * 1180 (''Jisho 4, 21st day of the 2nd month''): Emperor Takakura abdicated.Kitagawa, p. 784. * 1180 (''Jisho 4, 22nd day of the 4th month''): Emperor Antoku's coronation ceremony. * 1180 (''Jisho 4, 2nd day of the 6th month''): Former-

emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''ins ...

-in, former-emperor Takakura-in and Emperor Antoku leave

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

for Fukuhara-kyō. * 1180 (''Jisho 4, 26th day of the 11th month''): The capital is moved back to Kyoto from Fukuhara. * 1180 (''Jisho 4''): A devastating

whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

causes havoc in

Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...

, the capital. * 1181 (''Jisho 5, 14th day of the 1st month''): Emperor Takakura died. Soon after the birth of Emperor Takakura's son, Prince Tokihito, he was pressured to abdicate. The one-year-old infant would become

''Kugyō''

''Kugyō'' (公卿) is a collective term for the 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. 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 Takakura'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: * '' Sesshō'', Matsuo Motofusa, 1144–1230.Brown, p. 331. * '' Kampaku'',

Konoe Motomichi was a ''Kugyō'' (high-ranking Japanese official) from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. His father was Motozane, the founder of Konoe family, and his mother was a daughter of Tadataka. Among his sons is Iezane. His wife is t ...

, 1160–1233. * ''

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...

'', Fujiwara Tadamasa. * ''

'', Fujiwara Moronaga, 1137–1192. * ''

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 ...

'', Ōimikado Tsunemune, 1119–1189. * ''

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 ...

'',

Kujō Kanezane , also known as , is the founder of the Kujō family (at the encouragement of Minamoto no Yoritomo), although some sources cite Fujiwara no Morosuke (908-960) as its founder. Kanezane organised the compilation of the Kitano Tenjin Engi, the histo ...

, 1149–1207. * ''

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 ...

'',

. * ''

'', Minamoto Masamichi, died 1175. * ''

'', Taira Shigemori, 1138–1179. * ''

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 Takakura's reign

The years of Takakura'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. 195; Brown, pp. 330–331. * ''

'' (1166–1169) * ''

Kaō A ''huaya'' ("Flower Print"; ; ko, 화압, Hwaap; ja, 花押, Kaō) is a stylized signature or mark used in East Asian cultures in place of a true signature. Originating from China, the ''huaya'' was historically used by prominent figures such ...

'' (1169–1171) * '' Jōan'' (1171–1175) * ''

Angen was a after '' Jōan'' and before ''Jishō.'' This period spanned the years from July 1175 through August 1177. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1175 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous ...

'' (1175–1177) * ''

'' (1177–1181)

Cultural references

Takakura is the "Imperial Sovereign" of the Japan-inspired land of Akatsurai in Book 6: "The Lords of the Rising Sun" in the

Fabled Lands Fabled Lands is a series of fantasy gamebooks written by established gamebook authors Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson and published by Pan Books, a division of Macmillan in the mid 1990s. Cover art was by Kevin Jenkins with Russ Nicholson and Aru ...

adventure gamebook series. He is portrayed as a young man with little real power, it being largely in the hands of his chancellor, "Lord Kiyomori".

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press.
OCLC 251325323
* Helmolt, Hans Ferdinand and James Bryce Bryce. (1907)
''The World's History: A Survey of Man's Progress.''
Vol. 2. London: William Heineman
OCLC 20279012
* Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Burce T. Tsuchida, ed. (1975). The Tale of the Heike. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press.
OCLC 164803926
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* 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
OCLC 5850691
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takakura Japanese emperors 1161 births 1181 deaths 12th-century Japanese monarchs People of Heian-period Japan