was the 78th

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 ...

, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1158 through 1165.

Genealogy

Before his ascension 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 Morihito''-shinnō'' (守仁親王). He was the eldest son of

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''ins ...

. He was the father of

Emperor Rokujō was the 79th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Nobuhito''-sh ...

. *Empress: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (姝子内親王) later Takamatsu-in (高松院),

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 ...

’s daughter. *Empress: Fujiwara no Ikushi (藤原育子),

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 daughter *Tai-Kōtaigō: Fujiwara Masuko (藤原多子) Later Grand Empress Dowager Omiya, Tokudaiji Kin'yoshi's daughter. *Toku-no-Kimi (督の君), Minamoto Tadafusa’s daughter also Fujiwara no Narichika’s Wife *Kasuga-dono (春日殿), Nakahara Moromoto’s daughter ** First Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (僐子内親王; 1159-1171) *Umeryo-kimi (右馬助), Minamoto Mitsunari’s daughter ** First Son: Imperial Prince Priest Son'e (尊恵法親王; 1164-1192) *Ōkura-daisuke (大蔵大輔) ** Second Son: Imperial Prince Nobuhito (順仁親王) become Emperor Rokujo * Minamoto Tadafusa’s daughter ** Third Son: Shine (真恵)

Events of Nijō's life

Nijō was proclaimed as heir to Emperor Go-Shirakawa. * '' Hōgen 1'', 2nd day of the 7th month (1156): Cloistered

-in died at age 54. * ''Hōgen 1'', 10th–29th days of the 7th month (1156): The ''Hōgen'' Rebellion,Kitagawa, p. 783. also known as the ''Hōgen'' Insurrection or the ''Hōgen'' War. * ''Hōgen 4'', on the 11th day of the 8th month (1158): In the third year of Go-Shirakawa''-tennōs reign (後白河天皇二十五年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his eldest son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Nijō is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). After Nijō was formally enthroned, the management of all affairs continued to rest entirely in the hands of the retired emperor, Go-Shirakawa. * '' Heiji 1'', 9th–26th day of the 12th month (1159): The ''Heiji'' Rebellion, also known as the ''Heiji'' Insurrection or the ''Heiji'' War. * ''

Chōkan was a after '' Ōhō'' and before ''Eiman.'' This period spanned the years from March 1163 through June 1165. The reigning emperors were and .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du Japon'', pp. 193195; Brown, Delmer ''et al.'' (1 ...

2'', on the 26th day of the 8th month (1164):The former-Emperor Sutoku died at the age of 46. * '' Eiman 1'' (1165): The infant son of Emperor Nijō was named heir apparent and therefore Crown Prince, and would soon after become

. * ''Eiman 1'', on the 25th day of the 6th month (1165): In the seventh year of Nijō''-tennōs reign (桓武天皇七年), the emperor fell so very ill that he abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Rokujō is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). * ''Eiman 1'', 27th–28th day of the 7th month (1165): The former Emperor Nijō died at age 22.

''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 Nijō's reign, this apex of the '' Daijō-kan'' included: * '' Kampaku'', Konoe Motozane, 1143–1166.Brown, p. 327. * '' Sadaijin'', Konoe Motozane. * ''

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 Nijō's reign

The years of Nijō'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. 190–194; Brown, p. 328. * '' Hōgen'' (1156–1159) * '' Heiji'' (1159–1160) * ''

Eiryaku was a after ''Heiji'' and before '' Ōhō.'' This period spanned the years from January 1160 through September 1161. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * February 9, 1160 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of ev ...

'' (1160–1161) * ''

Ōhō was a after ''Eiryaku'' and before ''Chōkan.'' This period spanned the years from September 1161 through March 1163. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * January 28, 1161 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of ...

'' (1161–1163) * ''

'' (1163–1165) * '' Eiman'' (1165–1166)

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 Odai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nijo Japanese emperors 1143 births 1165 deaths 12th-century Japanese monarchs People of Heian-period Japan