, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')
元明天皇 (43)
retrieved August 22, 2013. 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.history of Japan, Genmei was the fourth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The three female monarchs before Genmei were

Suiko (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd emperor of Japan, monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 推古天皇 (33)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Suiko reigned from 593 until ...

, Kōgyoku/Saimei, and Jitō. The four women sovereigns reigning after Genmei were Genshō, Kōken/Shōtoku, Meishō, and Go-Sakuramachi.

Traditional narrative

Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name ('' imina'') was Abe''-hime''.Brown, p. 271. Empress Genmei was the fourth daughter of

Emperor Tenji , also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')天智天皇 (38)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 5 ...

; and she was a younger sister of

Empress Jitō was the 41st monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 持統天皇 (41)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). In the history o ...

by a different mother. Her mother, Mei-no-Iratsume (also known as Soga''-hime''), was a daughter of '' Udaijin'' Soga-no-Kura-no-Yamada-no-Ishikawa-no-Maro (also known as Soga Yamada-no Ō-omi).

Events of Genmei's life

Genmei became the consort (''nyōgo'') of Crown Prince Kusakabe no Miko, who was the son of Emperor Tenmu and

. After the death of their son Emperor Monmu in 707, she acceded to the throne.Ponsonby-Fane, p. 56. At least one account suggests that she accepted the role of empress because Emperor Monmu felt his young son, her grandson, was still too young to withstand the pressures which attend becoming emperor.Titsingh, p. 63. * July 18, 707 ('' Keiun 4, 15th day of the 6th month''): In the 11th year of Monmu''-tennō''s reign (文武天皇十一年), the emperor died; and the succession (''senso'') was received by the emperor's mother, who held the throne in trust for her young grandson. Shortly thereafter, Empress Genmei is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). Wadoukaichin monument2

* 707 (''Keiun 4''): Deposits of copper were reported to have been found in

Chichibu is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unli ...

Musashi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami ...

in the region which includes modern day Tokyo; * 708 (''Keiun 5''):, The era name was about to be changed to mark the accession of Empress Genmei; but the choice of ''Wadō'' as the new '' nengō'' for this new reign became a way to mark the welcome discovery of copper. The Japanese word for copper is ''dō'' (銅); and since this was indigenous copper, the ''"wa"'' (the ancient Chinese term for Japan) could be combined with the ''"dō"'' (copper) to create a new composite term – ''"wadō"'' – meaning "Japanese copper." * May 5, 708 ('' Wadō 1, 11th day of the 4th month''): A sample of the newly discovered Musashi copper from was presented in Genmei's Court where it was formally acknowledged as "Japanese" copper; and a mint was established in Ōmi Province. * 708 (''Wadō 1, 3rd month''): Fuijwara no Fuhito was named Minister of the Right (''Udaijin'') . Isonokami no Maro was Minister of the Left ('' Sadaijin'').Titsingh, p. 64. * 709 (''Wadō 2, 3rd month''): There was an uprising against governmental authority in Mutsu Province and in Echigo Province. Troops were promptly dispatched to subdue the revolt. * 709 (''Wadō 2, 5th month''): Ambassadors arrived from

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of ...

, bringing an offer of tribute. He visited Fujiwara no Fuhito to prepare the way for further visits. Daigokuden 16-9

* 710 (''Wadō 3, 3rd month''): Empress Genmei established her official residence in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

. In the last years of the Mommu's reign, the extensive preparations for this projected move had begun; but the work could not be completed before the late-emperor's death. Shortly after the ''nengō'' was changed to ''Wadō'', an Imperial Rescript was issued concerning the establishment of a new capital at the

Heijō-kyō was the Capital of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710 to 740 and again from 745 to 784. The imperial palace is a listed UNESCO World Heritage together with other places in the city of Nara (cf. Historic Monuments of Ancient ...

at Nara in

Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, ...

. It had been customary since ancient times for the capital to be moved with the beginning of each new reign. However, Emperor Mommu decided not to move the capital, preferring instead to stay at the Fujiwara Palace which had been established by Empress Jitō.Varley, p. 140. Empress Genmei's palace was named Nara-no-miya. * 711 (''Wadō 4, 3rd month''): The Kojiki was published in three volumes. This work presented a history of Japan from a mythological period of god-rulers up through the 28th day of the 1st month of the fifth year of Empress Suiko's reign (597). Emperor Tenmu failed to bring the work to completion before his death in 686. Empress Genmei, along with other court officials, deserve credit for continuing to patronize and encourage the mammoth project. * 712 (''Wadō 5''): The Mutsu Province was separated from Dewa Province. * 713 (''Wadō 6, 3rd month''): Tanba Province was separated from Tango Province; Mimasaka Province was divided from Bizen Province; and Hyūga Province was divided from Ōsumi Province. * 713 (''Wadō 6''): The compilation of '' Fudoki'' was begun with the imprimatur of an Imperial decree; and copies of the census of the provinces of Izumo, Harima,

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...

and two other provinces still exist. This work was intended to describe all provinces, cities, mountains, rivers, valleys and plains. It is intended to become a catalog of the plants, trees, birds, and mammals of Japan. It also intended to contain information about all of the remarkable events which, from ancient times to the present, have happened in the country. * 713 (''Wadō 6''): The road which traverses

Mino Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, and Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbrevia ...

and

Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo Province, Echigo, Etchū Province, Etchū, Hida Province, Hida, Kai Province, Kai, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Mikawa Province, Mikawa, Mino Province, Mi ...

was widened to accommodate travelers; and the road was widened in the Kiso District of modern

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the n ...

. After Empress Genmei transferred the seat of her government to Nara, this mountain location remained the capital throughout the succeeding seven reigns. In a sense, the years of the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara, Nara, Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remai ...

developed into one of the more significant consequences of her comparatively short reign. Genmei had initially planned to remain on the throne until her grandson might reach maturity. However, in 715, Genmei did abdicate in favor of Mommu's older sister who then became known as Empress Genshō. Genshō was eventually succeeded by her nephew, who then became known as Emperor Shōmu. * 715 (''Wadō 8''): Genmei abdicates in favor of her daughter, Empress Genshō. The Empress reigned for eight years. Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress Genmei, who was followed on the throne by her daughter, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument. After abdicating, she was known as '' Daijō-tennō''; and she was only the second woman after Empress Jitō to claim this title. Genmei lived in retirement for seven years until her death at the age of 61 in December 721. The actual site of Genmei's grave is known. This empress 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 ...

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 ''Shintoist ...

shrine (''misasagi'') in Narazaka-cho,

Nara City is the capital city of Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of 2022, Nara has an estimated population of 367,353 according to World Population Review, making it the largest city in Nara Prefecture and sixth-largest in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara is ...

which has been designated by the Imperial Household Agency as Genmei's mausoleum. The "mountain shape" ''misasagi'' was named ''Nahoyama-no-higashi no misasagi.''Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' p. 420.

Poetry

The '' Man'yōshū'' includes a poem written said to be composed by Empress Genmei in 708 (''Wadō 1'') – and this anthology also includes a reply created by one of the ladies of her court:: :::Listen to the sounds of the warriors' elbow-guards; ::::Our captain must be ranging the shields to drill the troops. :::::: – Genmei''-tennō''''Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai'', p. 81. :::Reply: :::Be not concerned, O my Sovereign; ::::Am I not here, :::I, whom the ancestral gods endowed with life, :::Next of kin to yourself? :::::: – Minabe-''hime''

Kugyō

Kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank und ...

'' (公卿) 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 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 position is derived from "the ...

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 Genmei'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: * '' Daijō-daijin'', Prince Hozumi. * '' Sadaijin'', Isonokami no Maro (石上麻呂). 708–717 * '' Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Fuhito (藤原不比等). 708–720 * '' Naidaijin'' * '' Dainagon''

Spouse and children

Empress Genmei was born to

and his concubine, Soga no Mei-no-iratsume, who held the rank of

Hin Hin or HIN may refer to: People * Cornelis Hin (1869–1944), Dutch Olympic sailor * Frans Hin (1906–1968), Dutch Olympic sailor * Johan Hin (1899–1957), Dutch Olympic sailor Science and technology * Hin recombinase, a protein * Hin, an anc ...

(Beauty).She initially was named Princess Abe (阿閇皇女).She had an elder sister by the same mother: Princess Minabe. Princess Abe married

Prince Kusakabe was a Japanese imperial crown prince from 681 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Tenmu. His mother was the empress Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō. He was the sole child of his mother. According to '' Nihon Shoki'', ...

, her eldest half-sister's son, and had issues: two daughters among which the eldest would become Empress Gensho and on son who will ascend the throne as Emperor Monmu. * Husband:

(草壁皇子, d. 10 May 689), son of Emperor Tenmu and

** First Daughter: Princess Hidaka (氷高皇女) later Empress Gensho ** First Son: Prince Karu (珂瑠/軽) later Emperor Monmu ** Second Daughter: Imperial Princess Kibi (吉備内親王, 686–729) married Prince Nagaya

Eras of Genmei's reign

The years of Genmei's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or '' nengō''. * '' Keiun'' (704–708) * '' Wadō'' (708–715) * '' Reiki'' (715–717)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past''.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
OCLC 251325323
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Ōdai Ichiran''; 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:Genmei 660 births 721 deaths 8th-century women rulers 7th-century Japanese people 8th-century Japanese monarchs 8th-century Japanese women writers Japanese empresses regnant People of Asuka-period Japan People of Nara-period Japan Women of medieval Japan Japanese women poets 7th-century Japanese women 7th-century Japanese poets 8th-century Japanese women 8th-century Japanese poets Japanese princesses Japanese retired emperors Daughters of emperors