was the 76th

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 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'')
近衛天皇 (76)
/ref> 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.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 Narihito''-shinnō'' (体仁親王). He was also known as Tosihito''-shinnō''.Titsingh
p. 186.
/ref> Emperor Konoe was the eighth son of

Emperor Toba was the 74th Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 鳥羽天皇 (74)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123. Genealogy Before his ascension to the C ...

. His mother was Fujiwara no Nariko (1117–1160), the wife of Emperor Toba. *''Kōgō'': Fujiwara no Tashi (藤原多子), Tokudaiji Kin'yoshi‘s daughter and Fujiwara no Yorinaga’s adopted daughter. Later married

Emperor Nijo 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 (empr ...

and become Emperor Rokujo’s foster mother. *''Chūgū'': Fujiwara no Shimeko (藤原呈子) later Kujō-in (九条院), Fujiwara no Koremichi’s daughter and

Fujiwara no Tadamichi was the eldest son of the Japanese regent ('' Kampaku'') Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the politically powerful Fujiwara clan. He was the father of Fujiwara no Kanefusa and Jien. In the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156, Tadamichi sided with the ...

’s adopted daughter.

Events of Konoe's life

Konoe was named heir shortly after he was born in 1139; and he was proclaimed emperor at the age of 3. * '' Eiji 1'', in the 3rd month (1141): The former emperor Toba accepted the tonsure and became a Buddhist monk at the age of 39 years. * ''Eiji 1'', on the 7th day of the 12th month (永治元年; 1141): In the 18th year of Sutoku''-tennōs reign (崇徳天皇十八年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by a younger brother, the 8th son of former Emperor Toba. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Konoe is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). At that time, the '' Kampaku'' Fujiwara-no Tadamichi became '' Sesshō'' or regent. The

Cloistered Emperor A is the term for a Japanese emperor who had abdicated and entered the Buddhist monastic community by receiving the '' Pravrajya'' rite. The term can also be shortened to . Cloistered emperors sometimes acted as ''Daijō Tennō'' (retired emperor ...

Toba Toba may refer to: Languages * Toba Sur language, spoken in South America * Batak Toba, spoken in Indonesia People * Toba people, indigenous peoples of the Gran Chaco in South America * Toba Batak people, a sub-ethnic group of Batak people from N ...

continued to direct all the affairs of government, while the retired

Emperor Sutoku was the 75th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 崇徳天皇 (75)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Sutoku's reign spanned the years from 1123 through 1142. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chry ...

had no powers. This conflict resulted in many controversies during Konoe's reign. * '' Kōji 2'', in the 1st month (1143):

-in, now known by the title ''Daijō Hōō'' or ''

Hōō ''Fènghuáng'' (, ) are mythological birds found in Sinospheric mythology that reign over all other birds. The males were originally called ''fèng'' and the females ''huáng'', but such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and ...

'' (太上法皇), visited his mother. * ''Kōji 2'', in the 5th month (1143): Konoe passed his days praying at

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergo ...

and also at the temples on Mount Hiei. * ''

Ten'yō was a after '' Kōji'' and before ''Kyūan.'' This period spanned the year from February 1144 through July 1145. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des emepereurs du japon'', pp. 186188; Brown, Delmer ''et al.'' (1979) ...

gannen'' or ''Ten'yō 1'', in the 7th month (1145): A comet was sighted in the sky; and for this reason, the name of the ''nengō'' was changed to ''Kyūan''. * ''

Kyūan , also romanized as Kyū-an, was a after '' Ten'yō'' and before '' Ninpei.'' This period spanned the years from July 1145 through January 1151. The reigning emperor was . Change of Era * January 25, 1145 : The new era name was created because ...

1'', in the 8th month (1145): The mother of former

(also known as ''"Taikenmon-In"'') died. * ''Kyūan 2'', in the 2nd month (1146), Konoe visited Toba-no''-Hōō''. * ''Kyūan 2'', in the 12th month (1146), Konoe joined in a celebration honoring ''Sesshō''

(the regent) on his 58th birthday. This event was important because, in each

sexagenary cycle The sexagenary cycle, also known as the Stems-and-Branches or ganzhi ( zh, 干支, gānzhī), is a cycle of sixty terms, each corresponding to one year, thus a total of sixty years for one cycle, historically used for recording time in China and t ...

, the first and the fifty-eighth years were considered to be auspicious according to Chinese astrological principles. * ''Kyūan 4'', in the 6th month (1148: The imperial palace was consumed by flames.Titsingh
p. 187.
/ref> * ''Kyūan 6'', in the 1st month (1150): Konoe assumed the role of a mature adult; and he married Fujiwara-no Tokoku, who had been raised by ''

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 ...

'' Yorinaga. Tokoku was the daughter of ''

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 ...

'' Taira-no Kiyomori. This bride became ''Kōkōgō'' (皇皇后) or first empress. * ''Kyūan 6'', in the 3rd month (1150): Konoe married again, this time to "Feï-si," who had been raised by ''Sesshō'' Fujiwara-no Tadamichi. She was the daughter of ''Dainagon'' Fujiwara-no Koremichi. This bride became ''Chūgū'' (中宮) or second empress. Konoe was so very much enamoured of this second wife that he neglected his first wife, which caused discord in the ''

kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank un ...

,'' especially between Tadamichi and Yorinaga. * ''Kyūan 6'', in the 12th month (1150): ''Sesshō'' Minamoto-no Tadamichi, resigns his position and is named '' Daijō Daijin''. In this same month, Minamoto-no Yoshikane became head of the

Ashikaga clan The was a prominent Japanese samurai clan which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1333 to 1573. The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga ...

Shimotsuke Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today Tochigi Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''SHimotsuke''" in . Shimotsuke was bordered by Kōzuke, Hitachi, Mutsu and Shimōsa Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was ...

. * ''

Ninpei , also romanized as Nimpyō, was a after ''Kyūan'' and before ''Kyūju.'' This period spanned the years from January 1151 through October 1154. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * January 20, 1151 : The new era name was created to mark ...

1'', in the 1st month (1151): ''Sadaijin'' Yorinaga was given additional power as ''"Naï-ken,"'' which gave him the duty and opportunity of reading formal written requests before they should be presented to the emperor. This had been amongst the powers of the ''Sesshō'' or the ''Kampaku.'' Factions in the court who favored Yorinaga tended to dislike Tadamichi, and they employed any means possible to help elevate Yorinaga's position. However, Yorinaga was himself generally disliked because of his capricious character. his tactics and strategy for enhancing his own prestige were focused primarily on diminishing Tadamichi's role in the court. * ''Ninpei 2'', on the 7th day of the 3rd month (1152): Konoe visited the home of Toba-no''-Hōō'' to celebrate his father's 50th birthday; and the emperor stayed until the next day, amusing himself with dances and with listening to musical performances.Titsingh
p. 188.
/ref> * ''Ninpei 3'', on the 2nd day of the 1st month (1153): Konoe visited his father's home; and in the same month Taira-no Tadamori, the head of the criminal tribunal, died; and this position was soon filed by his son, Taira-no Kiyomori. * ''

Kyūju was a after '' Ninpei'' and before '' Hōgen.'' This period spanned the years from October 1154 through April 1156. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 14, 1154 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a numbe ...

gannen'' or ''Kyūju 1'', in the 5th month (1154): ''Udaijin'' Minamoto-no Masasada retired from public life to become a priest at age 61. He died several years later. * ''Kyūju gannen'' or ''Kyūju 1'', in the 8th month (1154): Fujiwara-no Saneyoshi, Grand General of the Right, was elevated to the role of Grand General of the Left; and the former ''Dainagon'' Fujiwara-no Kanenaga (aged 17) was elevated to take on the newly vacated role of Grand General of the Right. * ''Kyūju 2'', on the 23rd day of the 7th month (1155): Emperor Konoe died at the age of 17 years without leaving any heirs. * ''Kyūju 2'', on the 24th day of the 7th month (大同元年; 1155): In the 14th year of Konoe''-tennōs reign (近衛天皇14年), the emperor died; and despite an ensuring dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (''enso'') was received by a younger brother, the 14th son of former-Emperor Toba. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Shirakawa is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). During Konoe's reign, the Enshō (Superiority of Duration) Temple. After this, successive emperors no longer build Imperial-prayer temples. Emperor Konoe's reign lasted for 13 years: 2 years in the ''nengō'' ''Kōji,'' 1 year in ''Ten'yō,'' 6 years in ''Kyūan, '' 3 years in ''Ninpei,'' and 2 years in ''Kyūju''.

''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. 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 Konoe'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: * '' Sesshō'', Fujiwara Tadamichi, 1099–1164.Brown, p. 325. * '' Daijō-daijin'', Sanjō Saneyuki, 1079–1162. * ''

'', Fujiwara Yorinaga, 1120–1156. * ''

'', Minamoto Arihito, 1103–1147. * ''

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 ...

'', Sanjō Saneyuki, 1079–1162. * ''

'', Minamoto Arihito, 1103–1147. * ''

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 ...

'', Minamoto Arihito, 1103–1147.

Eras of Konoe's reign

The years of Konoe'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 ...

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 ...

''.Titsingh
pp. 185–188
Brown, pp. 325–326. * '' Kōji'' (1142–1144) * ''

'' (1144–1145) * ''

'' (1145–1151) * ''

'' (1151–1154) * ''

'' (1154–1156)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past''.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
OCLC 251325323
* Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Burce T. Tsuchida, ed. (1975). ''The Tale of the Heike''. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press.
OCLC 164803926
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

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 ...