was the 54th

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 ...

, Emperor Ninmyō, Fukakusa Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency 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.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 Japanese ...

Traditional narrative

Ninmyō was the second son of

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 the Empress Tachibana no Kachiko. His 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 . After his death, he was given the title . Ninmyō had nine Empresses, Imperial consorts, and concubines (''kōi''); and the emperor had 24 Imperial sons and daughters. Brown and Ishida, p. 283. Emperor Ninmyō is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the Imperial Household Agency designates , in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, as the location of Ninmyō's mausoleum.

Events of Ninmyō's life

Fujiwara no Junshi-Rijksmuseum RP-P-1991-578

Ninmyō ascended to the throne following the abdication of his uncle,

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 ...

. * 6 January 823 (): Received the title of Crown Prince at the age of 14. * 22 March 833 (): In the 10th year of Emperor Junna's reign, the emperor abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by his adopted son. Masara''-shinnō'' was the natural son of Emperor Saga, and therefore would have been Junna's nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Ninmyo is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). Shortly after Ninmyo was enthroned, he designated an heir. He named

Prince Tsunesada was a Japanese prince of the early Heian period. He was the second son of Emperor Junna. He was also known as , and by his Buddhist name of . He was from 833 to 842, during the reign of his cousin Emperor Ninmyō. Life After the death of his ...

, a son of former Emperor Junna, as the crown prince. Brown and Ishida, pp. 284. * 835 ():

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 ...

(known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi) died. This monk, scholar, poet, and artist had been the founder of the

Shingon 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 ...

or "True Word" school of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

. * 838-839 (''Jōwa 5-6''): Diplomatic mission to

Tang China The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

headed by Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu. *842: Following a coup d'état called the Jōwa Incident, Tsunesada the crown prince was replaced with Ninmyō's first son, Prince Michiyasu (later

Emperor Montoku (August 826 – 7 October 858) was the 55th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 文徳天皇 (55)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Montoku's reign lasted from 850 to 858. Traditional narrative Before ...

) whose mother was the Empress Fujiwara no Junshi, a daughter of '' sadaijin''

Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu was a Japanese noble, statesman, general, and poet of the early Heian period. A member of the Hokke, he was the second son of the ''udaijin'' Fujiwara no Uchimaro. He attained the court rank of and the position of '' sadaijin'', and posthum ...

. It is supposed that this was the result of political intrigue planned by Ninmyō and

Fujiwara no Yoshifusa , also known as ''Somedono no Daijin'' or ''Shirakawa-dono'', was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Nakahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). When Yosh ...

. Mason and Caiger, p. 69 The first of what would become a powerful line of Fujiwara regents, Yoshifusa had numerous family ties to the imperial court; he was Ninmyō's brother in law (by virtue of his sister who became Ninmyō's consort), the second son of ''sadaijin'' Fuyutsugu, and uncle to the new crown prince. In his lifetime, Ninmyō could not have anticipated that his third son, Prince Tokiyasu, would eventually ascend the throne in 884 as

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 ...

. * 6 May 850 (''): Emperor Ninmyō died at the age of 41. He was sometimes posthumously referred to as "the Emperor of Fukakusa", because that was the name given to his tomb.

Eras of Ninmyō's reign

The years of Ninmyō'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''). * ''

Tenchō was a after '' Kōnin'' and before '' Jōwa.'' This period spanned the years from January 824 through January 834. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 6, 824 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series o ...

'' (824–834) * '' Jōwa'' (834–848) * '' Kashō'' (848–851)

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 Ninmyō'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'', Fujiwara no Otsugu (藤原緒嗣), 773–843.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Otsugu" in . * ''Sadaijin'', Minamoto no Tokiwa (源常), 812–854. * ''

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 ...

'', Kiyohara no Natsuno (清原夏野), 782–837. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Mimori (藤原三守), d. 840. * ''Udaijin'', Minamoto no Tokiwa (源常) * ''Udaijin'', Tachibana no Ujikimi (橘氏公), 783–847. * ''Udaijin'',

(藤原良房), 804–872. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Otsugu, 825–832 * ''

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 Tai ...

'' (not appointed) * ''

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 ...

'', Fujiwara no Otsugu, ?–825.

Consorts and children

Consort ('' Nyōgo'') later Empress Dowager (''Tai-Kōtaigō''):

Fujiwara no Junshi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor En'yū of Japan. She was the daughter of regent Fujiwara no Yoritada. She was placed in the harem of the Emperor to benefit her father in his rivalry with his cousin Fujiwara no K ...

(藤原順子; 809–871),

’s daughter *First Son: Imperial Prince Michiyasu (道康親王) later

Consort (''Nyōgo''): Fujiwara no ''Takushi''/Sawako (藤原沢子; d.839), Fujiwara no Fusatsugu’s daughter *Second Son: Imperial Prince Muneyasu (宗康親王; 828–868) *Third Son: Imperial Prince Tokiyasu (時康親王) later

*Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Saneyasu (人康親王; 831–872) *Imperial Princess ''Shinshi'' (新子内親王; d.897) Consort (''Nyōgo''): Fujiwara no ''Teishi''/Sadako (藤原貞子; d.864), Fujiwara no Tadamori’s daughter *Eighth Son: Imperial Prince Nariyasu (成康親王; 836–853) *Imperial Princess ''Shinshi'' (親子内親王; d. 851) *Imperial Princess ''Heishi'' (平子内親王; d. 877) Court lady: Shigeno no Tsunako (滋野縄子), Shigeno no Sadanushi’s daughter *fifth Son: Imperial Prince Motoyasu (本康親王; d. 902) *Ninth Daughter: Imperial Princess Tokiko (時子内親王; d. 847), 2nd Saiin in Kamo Shrine 831–833 *Imperial Princess ''Jūshi'' (柔子内親王; d. 869) Consort (''Nyōgo''): Tachibana no Kageko (橘影子; d. 864), Tachibana no Ujikimi’s daughter Consort (''Nyōgo''): Fujiwara Musuko (藤原息子) Court Attendant (''Koui''): Ki no Taneko (紀種子; d. 869), Ki no Natora’s daughter *Seventh Prince: Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu (常康親王; d. 869) *Imperial Princess ''Shinshi''/Saneko (真子内親王; d. 870) Court Attendant (''Koui'') (deposed in 845): Mikuni-machi (三国町), daughter of Mikuni clan *Sada no Noboru (貞登), given the family name "Sada" from Emperor (Shisei Kōka, 賜姓降下) in 866 Court lady: Fujiwara no Katoko (藤原賀登子), Fujiwara no Fukutomaro’s daughter *Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Kuniyasu (国康親王; d. 898) Court lady: Fujiwara no Warawako (藤原小童子), Fujiwara no Michitō’s daughter *Imperial Princess Shigeko (重子内親王; d. 865) Court lady: Princess Takamune (高宗女王), Prince Okaya’s daughter *Seventh/eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Hisako (久子内親王; d. 876), 18th Saiō in

Ise Shrine The , located in 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 . The Inner ...

833–850.Saikū Historical Museum, Meiwa, Mie: wall-display information table. Court lady: daughter of Yamaguchi clan (山口氏の娘) *Minamoto no Satoru (源覚; 849–879) ''Nyoju'': Kudaraō Toyofuku’s daughter *Minamoto no Masaru (源多; 831–888), ''Udaijin'' 882–888 *Minamoto no Hikaru (源光; 846–913), ''Udaijin'' 901–913 Court lady (''Nyoju''): Kudara no Yōkyō (百済永慶), Kudara no Kyōfuku’s daughter *Twelfth Daughter: Imperial Princess Takaiko (高子内親王; d. 866), 3rd Saiin in Kamo Shrine 833–850 (from unknown women) *Minamoto no ''Suzushi'' (源冷; 835–890), ''Sangi'' 882–890 *Minamoto no ''Itaru'' (源効)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Adolphson, Mikael S.,

Edward Kamens Edward Kamens (born 19 April 1952) is Sumitomo Professor of Japanese Literature at Yale University, where he has taught since 1986. His dissertation focused on the Buddhist setsuwa collection Sanbōe, and more recently he has written on allusiv ...

and Stacie Matsumoto. (2007)
''Heian Japan, centers and peripheries''.
Honolulu:

University of Hawaii Press A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. * * * * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia''.
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

. ; * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Ōdai 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. ;

External links

* Hokusai

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ninmyo Japanese emperors 808 births 850 deaths 9th-century rulers in Asia 9th-century Japanese monarchs