was a Japanese prince of the early

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

. He was the second son of

Emperor Junna was the 53rd emperor of Japan, Emperor Junna, Ōharano no Nishi no Minenoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Junna reigned from 823 to 833. Traditional narrative Junna had six empre ...

. He was also known as , and by his Buddhist name of . He was from 833 to 842, during the reign of his cousin

Emperor Ninmyō was the 54th emperor of Japan, Emperor Ninmyō, Fukakusa Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Ninmyō's reign lasted from 833 to 850, during the Heian period. Traditional narrative Nin ...

Life

After the death of his older half-brother , Tsunesada became

's successor. In 833, his cousin

took the throne, and by the wishes of the retired emperor

Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

, Tsunesada became Crown Prince. In 838, Tsunesada underwent the genbuku rite of passage in the palace, at which he is said to have shown good manners, and cut a graceful figure as he expressed his gratitude to the Emperor. After this, Tsunesada and the retired Emperor Junna became anxious about being embroiled in a power struggle and repeatedly petitioned to resign, but Saga and Ninmyō dissuaded them each time. However, after the Jōwa Incident immediately following Saga's death in 842, Tsunesada was disinherited as crown prince. In 849, he was conferred the as a prince, but he soon became a monk, taking on the Buddhist name of Gōjyaku. He was administered the ''

kanjō in Shinto terminology indicates a propagation process through which a ''kami'', previously divided through a process called ''bunrei'', is invited to another location and there re-enshrined. Evolution of the ''kanjō'' process ''Kanjō'' was ...

'' rite of esoteric Buddhism by Prince Takaoka, now also a monk, and became the first abbot of

Daikaku-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku, a western ward in the city of Kyoto, Japan. The site was originally a residence of Emperor Saga (785–842 CE), and later various emperors conducted their cloistered rule from here. The ''Saga Go-ry ...

. When another succession dispute broke out in 884 after the abdication of

Emperor Yōzei was the 57th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 陽成天皇 (57)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 876 through 884. Traditional narrative Before his ascension ...

, Tsunesada was asked to take the throne, but he declined. In his last moments he is said to have announced that his time had come, purified his clothes, offered incense and flowers to the Buddha, and assumed the

Lotus position Lotus position or Padmasana ( sa, पद्मासन, translit=padmāsana) is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha ...

and facing West before dying.

Personality

According to the ''

Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku , abbreviated as Sandai Jitsuroku, is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 901, it is the sixth and final text in the Six National Histories series. It covers the years 858–887. Background Following the earlier nation ...

'', Tsunesada possessed an easy and elegant personality and a beautiful appearance. Tsunesada was also known for his elegant calligraphy.

Genealogy

*Father:

*Mother:

Princess Seishi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the empress consort of her paternal uncle Emperor Junna. She became empress in 827. Her husband abdicated in 833. Either when she was widowed in 840, or when her son was deposed as crown prince in 842, S ...

, daughter of

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan,#Kunaichō, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823 ...

*Wife: daughter of Fujiwara no Chikanari *Wife: daughter of

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsunesada Japanese princes 825 births 884 deaths People of Heian-period Japan 9th-century Japanese calligraphers Heian period Buddhist clergy Heirs apparent who never acceded 9th-century Buddhist monks Sons of emperors