was the 65th

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

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 n ...

, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')
花山天皇 (65)
/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kazan's reign spanned the years from 984 through 986.

Biography

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name ('' imina'') was Morosada''-shinnō'' (師貞親王). Morasada was the eldest son of

Emperor Reizei was the 63rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 冷泉天皇 (63)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Reizei's reign spanned the years from 967 through 969, ending with his abdication and retirement. ...

. The prince's mother was Fujiwara no Kaneko/''Kaishi'' (藤原懐子), who was a daughter of ''sesshō'' Fujiwara no Koretada. Morasada was also the brother of Emperor Sanjō.Titsingh, p. 148.

Events of Kazan's life

Prince Morasada was seventeen years of age at the time of the succession. * October 6, 984 (''

Eikan was a after '' Tengen'' and before '' Kanna.'' This period spanned the years from April 983 through April 985. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 16, 983 ]: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of ...

1, 27th day of the 8th month''): In the 15th year of Emperor En'yu's reign (円融天皇十五年), he abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by a nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kazan is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). He commissioned the Shūi Wakashū. * 985 ('' Kanna 1, 4th month''): Fujiwara no Tokiakira and his brother, Yasusuke, contended with Fujiwara no Sukitaka and Ōe-no Masahira in a sword fight in Kyoto. Masahira lost the fingers of his left hand. The two brothers fled; and after careful searching, Tokiakira was eventually located in Ōmi Province. He faced a tough political struggle from the Fujiwara family; and at the age of nineteen, he was manipulated into abandoning the throne by

Fujiwara no Kaneie was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Kaneie" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He also was known as Hōkō-in Daijin and Higashi-sanjō-dono. Career Kan ...

. Kaneie told him that Ichijo (Kaneie's maternal grandson) already held the Regalia, and that there was no purpose in Kazan continuing to rule. Under some pressure, Kazan acquiesced, and went to the

Gangō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple, that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Nara, Japan. History The original foundation of the temple was by Soga no Umako in Asuka, as Asuka-dera. The temple was moved to Nara in 718, followin ...

monastery. He was accompanied by Kaneie's second son, Michikane, who was also to enter religion. When they arrived, however, Michikane said he would like to see his parents one final time while he was still a layman. Michikane never came back. * 986 (''Kanna 2, 6th month''): Kazan abdicated, and took up residence at

where he became a Buddhist monk; and his new priestly name was Nyūkaku. * August 23, 986 (''Kanna 2, 16th day of the 7th month''): Iyasada''-shinnō'' was appointed as

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offic ...

and

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 ...

at age 11. This followed the convention that two imperial lineages took the throne in turn, although Emperor Ichijō was in fact Iyasada's junior. He thus gained the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

''Sakasa-no moke-no kimi'' (the imperial heir in reverse). When Emperor Kanzan abandoned the world for holy orders, one grandson of Kaneie ascended to the throne as Emperor Ichijō (the 66th sovereign); and in due course, another grandson would follow on the throne as Emperor Sanjō (the 67th sovereign). Nyūkaku went on various

pilgrimages A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

and 're-founded' the Kannon pilgrimage, as a monk to the name of Tokudo Shonin (Some scholars doubt that Kazan, in his unstable mental condition at the time was involved with the founding of the pilgrimage, thereby leaving all of the credit to Shonin) had supposedly already created it. This pilgrimage involved travelling to 33 locations across the eight provinces of the Bando area. He was told to visit these 33 sites, in order to bring release from suffering, by Kannon Bosatsu in a vision. It is said that the first site of the pilgrimage was the Sugimoto-dera in Kamakura. This site is also the first site on the Kamakura pilgrimage. It is suggested by many scholars that the mental health of Kazan, particularly in later life, was not stable; and therefore, living as a monk may have caused deteriorating behavior. '' Daijō-tennō'' Kazan died at the age of 41 on the 8th day of the 2nd month of the fifth year of ''

Kankō was a after '' Chōhō'' and before '' Chōwa.'' This period spanned the years from July 1004 through December 1012. The reigning emperors were and . Change of Era * 1004 : The era name was changed to mark an event or series of events. Th ...

'' (1008). The actual site of Kazan's

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grav ...

is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (''misasagi'') at Kyoto. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Kazan's mausoleum. It is formally named ''Kamiya no hotori no misasagi''. He is buried amongst the "Seven Imperial Tombs" at Ryōan-ji Temple in Kyoto. The mound which commemorates the Hosokawa Emperor Kazan is today named ''Kinugasa-yama.'' The emperor's burial place would have been quite humble in the period after Kazan died. These tombs reached their present state as a result of the 19th century restoration of imperial sepulchers (''misasagi'') which were ordered by Emperor Meiji.Moscher, G. (1978). ''Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide,'' pp. 277–278.

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 have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Kazan'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: * '' Kampaku'', Fujiwara no Yoritada, 924–989.Brown, p. 301. * '' Daijō-daijin'', Fujiwara no Yoritada. * '' Sadaijin'',

, 929–990. * ''

Naidaijin 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 ...

'' (not appointed) * '' Dainagon''

Eras of Kazan's reign

The years of Kazan's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or '' nengō''. * ''

'' (983–985) * '' Kanna'' (985–986)

Consorts and children

Consort ( Kōkyū, Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Shishi'' (藤原忯子; 969–985), Fujiwara no Tamemitsu’s daughter Consort ( Kōkyū, Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Teishi'' (藤原諟子; d.1035), Fujiwara no Yoritada’s daughter Consort ( Kōkyū, Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Chōshi'' (藤原姚子; 971–989), Fujiwara no Asateru's daughter Consort ( Kōkyū, Nyōgo): Princess Enshi (婉子女王; 972-998), Imperial Prince Tamehira's daughter Nakatsukasa (中務), Taira no Sukeyuki's daughter, – Nurse of Emperor Kazan *Imperial Prince Kiyohito (清仁親王; ca. 998–1030) – Ancestor of Shirakawa family (白川家) *princess (d.1024), Fujiwara no ''Shoshi''’s lady-in-waiting *princess Nakatsukasa (中務), Taira no ''Heishi'' (平平子), Taira no Suketada's daughter *Imperial Prince Akinori (昭登親王; 998–1035) *princess *princess (from unknown women) *Kakugen (覚源; 1000–1065), a Buddhist monk (Gon-no-Sōjō, 権僧正) *Shinkan (深観; 1001–1050), a Buddhist monk (Gon-no-Daisōzu, 権大僧都)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press. ; * Moscher, Gouverneur. (1978). ''Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide.'' ; * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Odai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
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. ;