Prince Fushimi Yoshihito (伏見宮栄仁親王, ''Fushimi-no-miya Yoshihito shinnō'') (1351 – 9 December 1416) was a member of the
Japanese imperial family
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor i ...
during the
Northern and Southern Courts period. He was the eldest son of
Emperor Sukō
(May 25, 1334 – January 31, 1398) was the third of Emperors of Northern Court during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. According to pre- Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1348 through 1351.Titsingh, Isaa ...
and the founder of the
Fushimi-no-miya
The is the oldest of the four shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out.
The Fushimi-no-miya was founded by Prince Yoshihito, t ...
branch of the imperial family.
Life
Fushimi was born to
Emperor Sukō
(May 25, 1334 – January 31, 1398) was the third of Emperors of Northern Court during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. According to pre- Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1348 through 1351.Titsingh, Isaa ...
and a
lady-in-waiting in 1352, the first year of the emperor's reign. In 1368, the 23rd year of the
Shōhei era, he was named Imperial Prince Yoshihitō (仁親王). Fushimi underwent a coming-of-age ceremony in November 1375 and received the title of ''Nihon,'' the second-highest rank for a prince.
Suk
ō hoped that Yoshihito, the first prince of the
Jimyoin imperial line, would succeed him as emperor. However, at the time, the Japanese imperial house was separated into several branches, including Sukō's Northern Court line and another line led by his younger brother
Emperor Go-Kōgon
was the 4th of the Emperors of Northern Court during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts. According to pre-Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1352 through 1371.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon'' ...
. It was thus difficult for Yoshihito to become the undisputed emperor of Japan.
After the abdicated
Sukō died in 1398, Imperial Prince Yoshihito lost his most powerful political supporter and joined the
priesthood in May 1398.
In 1416, Prince Yoshihito began to suffer from illness. His fellow priests attempted to cure him with several
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
rituals, none of which were successful. Buddhists were brought in to deliver a unsuccessful healing incantation as well. Yoshihito died on 9 December 1416. The senior
monks
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
at
Daikōmyōji made
incense
Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also b ...
offerings on his behalf. The prince's body was
cremated
Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning.
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...
four days later.
Yoshihito's
posthumous Buddhist name was Daitsuin (は大通院).
Genealogy
Parents
* Father:
Emperor Sukō
(May 25, 1334 – January 31, 1398) was the third of Emperors of Northern Court during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. According to pre- Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1348 through 1351.Titsingh, Isaa ...
(崇光天皇, May 25, 1334 – January 31, 1398)
* Mother: Niwata Motoko (庭田資子; d.1394), Niwata Shigemoto's daughter
Consort and issue(s):
* Consort (''
Hi''): Sanjō Haruko (三条治子, d. 17 January 1399), later known as Nishi-no-Kata (西御方), daughter of Sanjō Mitsuji (三条実治)
** Son: Prince Fushimi Haruhitō (伏見宮治仁王, 1370 – 28 February 1417)
** Son: Prince Fushimi Sadafusa (伏見宮 貞成親王, 9 April 1372 – 28 September 1456)
* Wife (Nyōbō): Lady Hojūan (宝珠庵), daughter of Sanjō Sanane (三条実音)
** Son: Prince Nōkin (周乾王)
** Daughter: Unnamed Princess
* Wife (Nyōbō): Okata no Azuma (東御方), daughter of Sanjō Sanetsugu (三条実継)
** Son: Prince Megumi (恵舜王)
** Son: Unnamed Prince
** Son: Unnamed Prince
* Wife (Nyōbō): Rō-no-Kata (廊御方), daughter of Hinonishi Sukekuni (日野西資国)
* Son: Lord Shiinōji (椎野寺主)
* Wife (Nyōbō): Unknown
** Son: Prince Hongin (洪蔭王)
References
Japanese princes
1351 births
1416 deaths
Sons of emperors
Fushimi-no-miya
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