was the 100th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')
後小松天皇 (100)
retrieved 2013-8-28. and the sixth and final Emperor of the Northern Court. He is officially considered to have been the Northern pretender from May 24, 1382 to October 21, 1392, when upon

Emperor Go-Kameyama (c. 1347 – May 10, 1424) was the 99th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He ruled from 1383 to October 21, 1392, becoming the last Emperor of the Southern Court. His personal name was . This 14th century sove ...

abdication Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...

, Go-Komatsu is understood to have been a legitimate emperor (the 100th sovereign) from that date. In 1392, following the post''-Nanboku-chō'' unification of the two formerly contending courts, the Southern Emperor

reached an agreement with Go-Komatsu to alternate control of the throne between the Northern and Southern courts on a ten-year plan which effectively signaled the end of the southern court's claims to sovereignty. However, Go-Komatsu reneged, not only ruling for 20 years until his own abdication on October 5, 1412, but was succeeded by his own son, rather than by one from the former Southern Court. According to pre- Meiji scholars, Go-Komatsu's reign as a legitimate emperor spanned the years from 1392 through 1412. The present Japanese Imperial Family is descended from the three Northern Court emperors. This Nanboku-chō "sovereign" was named after the 9th-century

Emperor Kōkō was the 58th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 光孝天皇 (58)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887. Traditional narrative Before the emperor's ascension to the Chry ...

, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later." Jien's ''Gukanshō'' explains that Kōkō was called "the Emperor of Komatsu". The 14th-century pretender and emperor may be called the "later Emperor Kōkō" or the "later Emperor Komatsu". The Japanese word ''go'' has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this would-be emperor may be identified as "Komatsu, the second", or as "Komatsu II."

Genealogy

Before his accession 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 .Titsingh, p. 317. Go-Komatsu was the first son of

Emperor Go-En'yū (11 January 1359 – 6 June 1393) was the 5th of the Emperors of Northern Court during the period of two courts in Japan. According to pre-Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1371 through 1382. This Nanboku-chō "sovereign" was n ...

. His mother was Tsūyōmonin no Itsuko (通陽門院厳子), daughter of the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Sanjō Kimitada (三条公忠). * Consort: Hinonishi Motoko (日野西資子, 1384–1440) later Kohan’mon-in (光範門院), Hinonishi Sukekuni's daughter ** First son: Imperial Prince Mihito (実仁親王) later Emperor Shōkō ** Second son: Prince Ogawa (1404–1425; 小川宮), Emperor Shōkō's crown prince ** First daughter: Princess Riei (理永女王; 1406–1447) *Lady-in-waiting: Kanrouji Tsuneko (甘露寺経子), Kanrouji Kanenaga's daughter *Naishi: Hinonishi Sukekuni's daughter *Naishi: Shirakawa Suketada's daughter *Naishi: Kohyōe-no-Tsubone (小兵衛局) **daughter: (b. 1412) *Naishi: Unknown (daughter of a retainer from the Southern Court) ** Ikkyū Sōjun He was named after

, who had the alternate name Komatsu, because they both returned the throne to their families, in the case of Emperor Go-Komatsu, by defeating his Southern Court rivals, and in the case of Emperor Kōkō, by succeeding his elder brother's grandson,

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 ...

Events of Go-Komatsu's life

In his own lifetime, Go-Komatsu and those around him believed that he occupied the

from May 24, 1382 through 1412. He was raised in the turbulent ''Nanboku-chō'' period of rival northern and southern courts in the mansion of Hino Sukenori (日野西資教). He succeeded as Northern Emperor upon the abdication of his father, the Northern Pretender Emperor Go-En'yū. With the help of

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the third '' shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate, ruling from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was Ashikaga Yoshiakira's third son but the oldest son to survive, his childhood name being Haruō (). Yoshimitsu ...

, his father ruled as Cloistered Emperor. In 1392, an envoy from the

Ashikaga Shogunate The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669. The Ashikaga shogunate was establi ...

managed to persuade

to convey the Imperial Regalia to Go-Komatsu, which meant that he ceded 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 ...

to his former rival. Go-Komatsu received the succession (''senso''); and he is understood to have formally acceded to the legitimate Imperial power and position (''sokui''). In the peace at that time, it was agreed that the northern and southern courts would alternate. However, in 1412, when Emperor Go-Komatsu abdicated, the agreement was thrown away, and, instead, he was succeeded by his son, Emperor Shōkō, and all subsequent Emperors were descended from the

Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. The present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the Northern Cou ...

. Until 1911, the Northern Court Emperors were considered the legitimate ones, and the Southern Court to be illegitimate. However, now the Southern Court is considered to have been legitimate, primarily because they retained the three sacred treasures, and thus, Emperor Go-Komatsu is not considered to have been legitimate for the first 10 years of his reign. He is enshrined with other emperors at the imperial tomb called ''Fukakusa no kita no misasagi'' (深草北陵) in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 423.

Kugyō

''Kugyō'' (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. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. 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 Go-Komatsu's reign, this apex of the '' Daijō-kan'' included: * '' Sadaijin'' * ''

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 administ ...

'' * ''

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 Ta ...

'' * ''

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 Go-Komatsu's reign

The years of Go-Komatsu's ''Nanboku-chō'' and post''-Nanboku-chō'' 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 of ...

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 ...

''. :''Nanboku-chō'' northern court *Eras as reckoned by legitimate Court (as determined by Meiji rescript) ** '' Eitoku'' (1381–1384) ** ''

Shitoku Shitoku (至徳) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Eitoku and before Kakei. This period spanned the years from February 1384 to August 1387. Th ...

'' (1384–1387) ** ''

Kakei Kakei (嘉慶) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shitoku and before Kōō. This period spanned the years from August 1387 to February 1389. The ...

'' (1387–1389) ** ''

Kōō , also romanized as Kō-ō, was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kakei and before Meitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1389 to Marc ...

'' (1389–1393) :''Nanboku-chō'' southern court *Eras as reckoned by pretender Court (as determined by Meiji rescript) ** '' Kōwa'' (1381–1384) ** ''

Genchū Genchū (元中) was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts lasting from April 1384 to October 1392.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Genchū''" i ''Japan encyclopedia,'' p. 236 n.b., Louis-Fréd ...

'' (1384–1390) ** ''

Meitoku Meitoku (明徳) was a Japanese era name (年号 ''nengō'', "year name") of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after '' Kōō'' and before ''Ōei''. This period spanned the years from March 1390 to July 1394. After ...

'' (1390–1393)‡ :Post''-Nanboku-chō'' court *Eras merged as ''Meitoku'' 3 replaced ''Genchū'' 9 as Go-Kameyama abdicated. ** ''

'' (1393–1394)‡ ** '' Ōei'' (1394–1428)

Southern Court rivals

* Chōkei * Go-Kameyama

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. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). iyun-sai_Rin-siyo/Hayashi_Gahō,_1652.html" ;"title="Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran
Annales des empereurs du Japon''
. Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. {{DEFAULTSORT:Go-Komatsu Japanese emperors 1377 births 1433 deaths Emperor Go-Komatsu Emperor Go-Komatsu Emperor Go-Komatsu Emperor Go-Komatsu Emperor Go-Komatsu 14th-century Japanese monarchs 15th-century Japanese monarchs Japanese retired emperors Pretenders