, or Kammu, was the 50th

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 ...

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

(''Kunaichō'')
桓武天皇 (50)
retrieved 2013-8-22. 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. Kanmu's personal name (''

imina in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

'') was .Brown, p. 277
He was the eldest son of Prince Shirakabe (later known as

Emperor Kōnin was the 49th emperor of Japan, Emperor Kōnin, Tahara no Higashi Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Kōnin's reign lasted from 770 to 781. Traditional narrative The personal name ...

), and was born prior to Shirakabe's ascension to the throne. According to the , Yamabe's mother, Yamato no Niigasa (later called

Takano no Niigasa was a concubine of Emperor Kōnin of Japan and the mother of Emperor Kanmu. Her full name was Takano no Asomi Niigasa. Life Niigasa was a daughter of Yamato no Ototsugu (和乙継). She became a concubine of Prince Shirakabe (白壁王), grandson ...

), was a 10th generation descendant of

Muryeong of Baekje Muryeong of Baekje (462–523, r. 501–23) was the 25th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. During his reign, Baekje remained allied with Silla against Goguryeo, and expanded its relationships with China and Japan. Background ...

. After his father became emperor, Kanmu's half-brother, Prince Osabe was appointed to the rank of

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the w ...

. His mother was

Princess Inoe Princess Inoe or ''Inoue'' (717–775) was the Empress consort of Emperor Kōnin of Japan. She was deposed in 772, accused of witchcraft. Life Inoue was the daughter of Emperor Shōmu, who reigned from March 3, 724 until August 19, 749.Imperi ...

, a daughter of

Emperor Shōmu was the 45th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 聖武天皇 (45)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 749, during the Nara period. Traditional narrative ...

; but instead of Osabe, it was Kanmu who was later named to succeed their father. After Inoe and Prince Osabe were confined and then died in 775, Osabe's sister – Kanmu's half-sister Princess Sakahito – became Kanmu's wife. Later, when he ascended to the throne in 781, Kanmu appointed his young brother,

Prince Sawara (750? – November 8, 785) was the fifth son of Prince Shirakabe (later Emperor Kōnin), by Takano no Niigasa. Biography In 781 he was named heir-presumptive after his elder brother succeeded the abdicated Emperor Kōnin as the Emperor Kanmu. In ...

, whose mother was Takano no Niigasa, as crown prince. Hikami no Kawatsugu, a son of

Emperor Tenmu was the 40th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's rei ...

's grandson Prince Shioyaki and Shōmu's daughter Fuwa, attempted to carry out a coup d'état in 782, but it failed and Kawatsugu and his mother were sent into exile. In 785 Sawara was expelled and died in exile. 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). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the c ...

saw the appointment of the first ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamaku ...

'',

Ōtomo no Otomaro was a Japanese general of the Nara period and of the early Heian period. He was the first to hold the title of '' sei-i taishōgun''. The title of Shōgun was bestowed by Emperor Kanmu in 794. Some believe he was born in 727. His father was Ōt ...

by Emperor Kanmu in 794 CE. The shōgun was the

military dictator A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer. The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the ...

of Japan with near absolute power over territories via the military. Otomaro was declared "Sei-i Taishōgun" which means "Barbarian-subduing Great General". Emperor Kanmu granted the second title of shōgun to

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a court noble, general and ''shōgun'' of the early Heian period of Japan. He served as Dainagon, Minister of War and ''Ukon'e no Taisho'' (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards). He held the '' kabane'' of Ōsukune ...

for subduing the

Emishi The (also called Ebisu and Ezo), written with Chinese characters that literally mean " shrimp barbarians," constituted an ancient ethnic group of people who lived in parts of Honshū, especially in the Tōhoku region, referred to as in contem ...

in northern

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island s ...

. Kanmu had 16 empresses and consorts, and 32 imperial sons and daughters. Among them, three sons would eventually ascend to the imperial throne:

Emperor Heizei , also known as ''Heijō-tennō'', was the 51st emperor of Japan, Emperor Heizei, Yamamomo Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Heizei's reign lasted from 806 to 809. Traditional na ...

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

and

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 ...

. Some of his descendants (known as the ''Kanmu Taira'' or ''Kanmu Heishi'') took the

Taira The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...

hereditary clan title, and in later generations became prominent warriors. Examples include

Taira no Masakado was a Heian period provincial magnate ('' gōzoku'') and samurai based in eastern Japan, notable for leading the first recorded uprising against the central government in Kyōto. Early life Masakado was one of the sons of Taira no Yoshimas ...

Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first so ...

, and (with a further surname expansion) the

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this period ...

. The ''

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

'' poet

Ariwara no Narihira was a Japanese courtier and '' waka'' poet of the early Heian period. He was named one of both the Six Poetic Geniuses and the Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses, and one of his poems was included in the ''Ogura Hyakunin Isshu'' collection. He i ...

was one of his grandsons. Kanmu is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the

designates , in

Fushimi-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Famous places in Fushimi include the Fushimi Inari Shrine, with thousands of torii lining the paths up and down a mountain; Fushimi Castle, originally built by Toyoto ...

, as the location of Kanmu's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be cons ...

Events of Kanmu's life

Kanmu was an active emperor who attempted to consolidate government hierarchies and functions. Kanmu appointed

(758–811) to lead a military expedition against the

. * 737: Kanmu was born. * 773: Received the title of crown prince. * April 30, 781(): In the 11th year of Kōnin's reign, he abdicated; and the succession was received by his son Kanmu. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kanmu is said to have ascended to the throne. During his reign, the

capital of Japan The current capital of Japan is Tokyo."About Japan"
The Government of Japan. Retrieved 9 March 2022.

was moved from

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 ...

(

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 ...

) to

Nagaoka-kyō was the capital of Japan from 784 to 794. Its location was reported as Otokuni District, Yamashiro Province, and Nagaokakyō, Kyoto, which took its name from the capital. Parts of the capital were in what is now the city of Nagaokakyō, whil ...

in 784.Brown, 278
Shortly thereafter, the capital would be moved again in 794.Brown, 279
* July 28, 782 (): The ''sadaijin''

Fujiwara no Uona Fujiwara no Uona (藤原魚名, 721 – August 31, 783) was a member of the Fujiwara clan in Japan and occupied the position of ''sadaijin'' "Minister of the Left" in the ancient Japanese court. He was the fifth son of Fujiwara no Fusasaki (681� ...

was involved in an incident that resulted in his removal from office and exile to Kyushi. Claiming illness, Uona was permitted to return to the capital where he died; posthumously, the order of banishment was burned and his office restored. In the same general time frame, Fujiwara no Tamaro was named Udaijin. During these days in which the offices of ''sadaijin'' and ''udaijin'' were vacant, the major counselors (the ''dainagon'') and the emperor assumed responsibilities and powers which would have been otherwise delegated.Titsingh, . * 783 (): The ''udaijin'' Tamaro died at the age of 62 years. * 783 (): Fujiwara no Korekimi became the new ''udaijin'' to replace the late Fujiwara no Tamaro. * 793 (): Under the leadership of Dengyō, construction began on the Enryaku Temple. * 794: The capital was relocated again, this time to

Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...

, where the palace was named . * November 17, 794 (): The emperor traveled by carriage from Nara to the new capital of Heian-kyō in a grand procession. This marks the beginning of the

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 Japan ...

. * 794 appointed

as the first

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamaku ...

"Sei-i Taishōgun—"Barbarian-subduing Great General", together with

subdues the

in Northern

. * 806: Kanmu died at the age of 70. Kanmu's reign lasted for 25 years.

Eras of Kanmu's reign

The years of Kanmu's 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 ...

(''nengō''). * ''

Ten'ō was a after ''Hōki'' and before ''Enryaku.'' This period lasted from January 781 through August 782. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 24 October 781 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous ...

'' (781–82) * ''

Enryaku was a after ''Ten'ō'' and before '' Daidō''. This period spanned the years from August 782 through May 806. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 12 November 782 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The pr ...

'' (782–806)

Politics

Earlier Imperial sponsorship of

Buddhism 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 ...

, beginning with

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half- ...

(574–622), had led to a general politicization of the clergy, along with an increase in intrigue and corruption. In 784 Kanmu shifted his capital from

in a move that was said to be designed to edge the powerful Nara Buddhist establishments out of state politics—while the capital moved, the major Buddhist temples, and their officials, stayed put. Indeed, there was a steady stream of edicts issued from 771 right through the period of Kūkai's studies which, for instance, sought to limit the number of Buddhist priests, and the building of temples. However the move was to prove disastrous and was followed by a series of natural disasters including the flooding of half the city. In 785 the principal architect of the new capital, and royal favourite,

Fujiwara no Tanetsugu was a Japanese noble of the late Nara period. He was the grandson of the '' sangi'' Fujiwara no Umakai, the founder of the Fujiwara Shikike. He reached the court rank of and the position of '' chūnagon''. He was posthumously awarded the ran ...

, was assassinated. Meanwhile, Kanmu's armies were pushing back the boundaries of his empire. This led to an uprising, and in 789 a substantial defeat for Kanmu's troops. Also in 789 there was a severe drought and famine—the streets of the capital were clogged with the sick, and people avoiding being

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...

ed into the military, or into forced labour. Many disguised themselves as Buddhist priests for the same reason. Consequently, in 792 Kanmu abolished national conscription, replacing it with a system wherein each province formed a militia from the local gentry. Then in 794 Kanmu suddenly shifted the capital again, this time to Heian-kyō, which is modern day

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...

. The new capital was started early the previous year, but the change was abrupt and led to even more confusion amongst the populace. Politically Kanmu shored up his rule by changing the syllabus of the university.

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

ideology still provided the ''raison d'être'' for the Imperial government. In 784 Kanmu authorised the teaching of a new course based on the ''

Spring and Autumn Annals The ''Spring and Autumn Annals'' () is an ancient Chinese chronicle that has been one of the core Chinese classics since ancient times. The '' Annals'' is the official chronicle of the State of Lu, and covers a 241-year period from 722 to 481 ...

'' based on two newly imported commentaries: ''Kung-yang'' and ''Ku-liang''. These commentaries used political rhetoric to promote a state in which the Emperor, as "Son of Heaven," should extend his sphere of influence to barbarous lands, thereby gladdening the people. In 798 the two commentaries became required reading at the government university. Kanmu also sponsored the travels of the monks

Saichō was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school of Buddhism based on the Chinese Tiantai school he was exposed to during his trip to Tang China beginning in 804. He founded the temple and headquarters of Tendai at Enryak ...

and

Kūkai Kūkai (; 27 July 774 – 22 April 835Kūkai was born in 774, the 5th year of the Hōki era; his exact date of birth was designated as the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the Japanese lunar calendar, some 400 years later, by the Shingon se ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

, from where they returned to found the Japanese branches of, respectively,

Tendai , also known as the Tendai Lotus School (天台法華宗 ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just "''hokke shū''") is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition (with significant esoteric elements) officially established in Japan in 806 by the Japanese m ...

and

Shingon Buddhism Shingon monks at Mount Koya is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. Kn ...

Kugyō

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 Kanmu'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 J ...

'' included: * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, 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 in ...

'',

(藤原魚名), 781–82. * ''Sadaijin'', Fujiwara no Tamaro (藤原田麿), 783. * ''

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 ...

'', Ōnakatomi no Kiyomaro (大中臣清麿), 771–81 * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Tamaro (藤原田麿), 782–83. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Korekimi (藤原是公), 783–89. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Tsuginawa (藤原継縄), 790–96. * ''Udaijin'', Miwa ōkimi or Miwa oh (神王), 798–806 * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Uchimaro (藤原内麻呂) 756–812, 806–12. * ''

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 ...

'' When the daughter of a ''

chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...

'' became the favored consort of the Crown Prince Ate (later known as Heizei''-tennō''), her father's power and position in court was affected. Kanmu disapproved of

Fujiwara no Kusuko Fujiwara no Kusuko (October 13, 810) was a Japanese court lady. She is best known for her role in the Kusuko Incident. Early life Fujiwara was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu. She was known for her beauty. After her father's assassinatio ...

, daughter of

; and Kanmu had her removed from his son's household.Ponsonby-Fane, p. 318. * ''

Chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...

'', Fujiwara no Tadanushi

Consorts and children

Emperor Kanmu's Imperial family included 36 children. *Empress ('' Kōgō''):

Fujiwara no Otomuro Fujiwara no Otomuro (藤原乙牟漏; �u͍ʑiwaɽa no otomuɽo 760 – April 28, 790) was a Japanese noblewoman and Empress consort of Japan. Her sister was Fujiwara no Moroane. Fujiwara no Otomuro was a daughter of a noble called Fujiwara no ...

(藤原乙牟漏),

Fujiwara no Yoshitsugu was a Japanese statesman, courtier, and politician of the Nara period. He was the second son of the founder of the Shikike branch of the Fujiwara, Fujiwara no Umakai. His original name was . He was the maternal grandfather of the emperors Heizei a ...

’s daughter **First Son: Imperial Prince Ate (安殿親王) later

**Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Kamino (賀美能親王/神野親王) later

**Imperial Princess Koshi (高志内親王; 789–809), married to

*Madame ''( Bunin later Kōtaigō)'':

Fujiwara no Tabiko Fujiwara no Ryoshi (藤原旅子, also read Fujiwara no Tabiko; 759–788) was a Japanese noblewoman of the Nara period. She was a consort to Emperor Kanmu and the mother of Emperor Junna. Biography Fujiwara no Ryoshi was born in 759 to Fujiwara ...

(藤原旅子),

Fujiwara no Momokawa was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Nara period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Momokawa" in . His original name was . Career at court He was a minister during the reigns of Empress Kōken/Shōtoku and ...

’s daughter **Fifth Son: Imperial Prince Ōtomo (大伴親王) later

*''Consort ( Hi):'' Imperial Princess Sakahito (酒人内親王),

’s daughter **First Daughter: Imperial Princess Asahara (朝原内親王; 779–817), 12th ''

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north-west of the shrine. The remains of ...

'' in

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie, Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . ...

(782–before 796), and married to

*Madame ( ''Bunin'''')'': Fujiwara no Yoshiko (藤原吉子; d.807),

Fujiwara no Korekimi was a Japanese aristocrat and statesman of the Nara period. He reached the court rank of Junior Second Rank and the position of Minister of the Right (''udaijin)'', and was posthumously promoted to Junior First Rank. He was also called . Lif ...

’s daughter **Second Son: Imperial Prince Iyo (伊予親王; 783–807) *Madame ''( Bunin)'' : Tajihi no Mamune (多治比真宗; 769–823), Tajihi no Nagano's daughter **Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Kazurahara (葛原親王; 786–853) **Ninth Son: Imperial Prince Sami (佐味親王; 793–825) **Tenth Son: Imperial Prince Kaya (賀陽親王; 794–871) **Imperial Prince Ōno (大野親王/大徳親王; 798–803) **Imperial Princess Inaba (因幡内親王; d.824) **Imperial Princess Anou (安濃内親王; d.841) *Madame ''( Bunin)'': Fujiwara no Oguso (藤原小屎), Fujiwara no Washitori's daughter **Third Son: Imperial Prince Manta (万多親王; 788–830) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'' : Ki no Otoio (紀乙魚; d.840), Ki no Kotsuo's daughter *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'' : Kudarao no Kyōhō (百済王教法; d.840), Kudara no Shuntetsu's daughter *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'' : Tachibana no Miiko (橘御井子), daughter of Tachibana no Irii (橘入居) **Imperial Princess Sugawara (菅原内親王; d.825) **Sixteenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Kara (賀楽内親王; d.874) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'' : Fujiwara no Nakako (藤原仲子), Fujiwara no Ieyori's daughter *Court Lady ( ''Nyōgo'') : Tachibana no Tsuneko (橘常子; 788–817), Tachibana no Shimadamaro's daughter **Ninth Daughter: Imperial Princess Ōyake (大宅内親王; d.849), married to

*Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Fujiwara no ''Shōshi'' (藤原正子), Fujiwara no Kiyonari's daughter *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Sakanoue no Matako (坂上全子, d.790), Sakanoue no Karitamaro's daughter **Twelfth Daughter: Imperial Princess Takatsu (高津内親王; d.841), married to

*Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Sakanoue no Haruko (坂上春子, d.834),

's daughter **Twelfth Son: Imperial Prince Fujii (葛井親王; 800–850) **Imperial Princess Kasuga (春日内親王; d.833) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Fujiwara no Kawako (藤原河子, d.838), Fujiwara no Ōtsugu's daughter **Thirteenth Son: Imperial Prince Nakano (仲野親王; 792–867) **Thirteenth Princess: Imperial Princess Ate (安勅内親王; d.855) **Imperial Princess Ōi (大井内親王; d.865) **Imperial Princess Ki (紀内親王; 799–886) **Imperial Princess Yoshihara (善原内親王; d.863) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Fujiwara no Azumako (藤原東子, d.816), Fujiwara no Tanetsugu's daughter **Imperial Princess Kannabi (甘南備内親王, 800–817), Married to

*Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Fujiwara no ''Heishi/Nanshi'' (藤原平子/南子, d.833), Fujiwara no Takatoshi's daughter **Eighth Daughter: Imperial

Princess Ito was a Japanese imperial princess of the early Heian period. Biography Ito's exact date of birth is unknown.'' Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten'' article "Ito-naishinnō". Britannica. Her father was Emperor Kanmu. She became the wife of Pr ...

(伊都内親王), married to

Prince Abo was a Japanese imperial prince of the early Heian period. Biography He was born in 792'' Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten'' article "Abo-shinnō". Britannica.'' MyPaedia'' article "Abo-shinnō". Hitachi.''Daijisen'' entry "Abo-shinnō". Sho ...

*Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Ki no Wakako (紀若子), Ki no Funamori's daughter **Seventh Son: Imperial Prince Asuka (明日香親王, d.834) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Fujiwara no Kamiko (藤原上子), Fujiwara no Oguromaro's daughter **Imperial Princess Shigeno (滋野内親王, 809–857) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Tachibana no Tamurako (橘田村子), Tachibana no Irii's daughter **Imperial Princess Ikenoe (池上内親王, d.868) *Court Lady ''( Nyōgo)'': Kawakami no Manu (河上好), Nishikibe no Haruhito's daughter **Imperial Prince Sakamoto (坂本親王, 793–818) *Court Lady ('' Nyōgo''): Kudarao no Kyōnin (百済王教仁), Kudara no Bukyō's daughter **Imperial Prince Ōta (大田親王, d.808) *Court Lady ('' Nyōgo''): Kudarao no Jōkyō (百済王貞香), Kudara no Kyōtoku's daughter **Imperial Princess Suruga (駿河内親王, 801–820) *Court Lady ('' Nyōgo''): Nakatomi no Toyoko (中臣豊子), Nakatomi no Ōio's daughter **Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess Fuse (布勢内親王, d.812), 13th

in Ise Shrine, 797–806 *Court lady ('' Nyoju''): Tajihi no Toyotsugu (多治比豊継), Tajihi no Hironari's daughter **Nagaoka no Okanari (長岡岡成, d.848), removed from the Imperial Family by receiving the family name from Emperor (Shisei Kōka, 賜姓降下) in 787 *Court Lady ('' Nyoju''):: Kudara no Yōkei (百済永継), Asukabe no Natomaro's daughter **Yoshimine no Yasuyo (良岑安世, 785–830), removed from the Imperial Family by receiving the family name from Emperor (Shisei Kōka, 賜姓降下) in 802

Ancestry

Legacy

In 2001, Japan's emperor

Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. B ...

told reporters "I, on my part, feel a certain kinship with Korea, given the fact that it is recorded in the ''Chronicles of Japan'' that the mother of Emperor Kanmu was one of the descendant of King Muryong of Baekje." It was the first time that a Japanese emperor publicly referred to Korean blood in the imperial line. According to the ''

Shoku Nihongi The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the '' Six National Histories'', coming directly after the '' Nihon Shoki'' and followed by '' Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Ma ...

'', Emperor Kanmu's mother,

(720–90), is a descendant of

Prince Junda was the second son of King Muryeong of Baekje who settled in Japan. His father was born on the island of Kyushu in Japan and because of this was called Semakishi (嶋君) and King Shima (斯麻王). Prince Junda was most likely also born in J ...

, son of Muryeong, who died in Japan in 513 ('' Nihon Shoki'', Chapter 17).

Notes

References

* * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834)
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''
(''

Nihon Ōdai Ichiran , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the '' American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...

''). Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns''.
New York: Columbia University Press. ; {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanmu 730s births 806 deaths 8th-century Japanese monarchs 9th-century Japanese monarchs City founders Japanese emperors People of Heian-period Japan People of Nara-period Japan Buddhism in the Heian period Buddhism in the Nara period Japanese Buddhist monarchs