was an
Empress consort of
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 ...
. The youngest daughter of
Kampaku Fujiwara no Mototsune
, also known as , was a Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat of the early Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Mototsune" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He was the first '' kampaku'', a regent of an adult ...
, she was the wife of
Emperor Daigo
was the 60th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 醍醐天皇 (60)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial.
Ge ...
and the mother of emperor
Suzaku and
Murakami.
Life
Onshi shared her name with her elder sister, Fujiwara no Onshii (882 – 907), who was the wife of
Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宇多天皇 (59)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.
Traditional narrative
Name and legacy
Befo ...
of Japan and the adoptive mother of Emperor Daigo.
In 930, her spouse, the retired Emperor Daigo, as well as her father-in-law, the retired Emperor Uda, died, leaving Fujiwara no Onshi in a very influential position as the mother of the young Emperor Suzaku as well as the Crown Prince Murakami. This position allowed her to become the Head of the Imperial Family, and she institutionalized the role of the Emperor's mother and her office as synonymous with the caretaker of a child emperor.
She continued to live with Emperor Suzaku after he became an adult and married, retaining her influence. During the reign of her next son, Emperor Murakami, she maintained peace within the Imperial House by acting as a mediator between her sons, the emperor and the retired emperor. In 950, she secured the appointment of prince Noriki as crown prince.
Notes
Fujiwara clan
Japanese empresses
885 births
954 deaths
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