was the 112th

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'')
霊元天皇 (112)
/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.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 117. Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.

Genealogy

Before Reigen's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name ('' imina'') was ; and his pre-accession title was . Reigen was the 16th son of

Emperor Go-Sai , also known as , was the 111th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後西天皇 (111)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 116. Go-Sai ...

. His mother was the daughter of Minister of the Center Sonomotooto (内大臣園基音), Lady-in-Waiting Kuniko (新広義門院国子). Reigen's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi of the

Heian Palace The was the original imperial palace of (present-day Kyoto), the capital of Japan, from 794 to 1227. The palace, which served as the imperial residence and the administrative centre for most of the Heian period (from 794 to 1185), was located ...

. This family included at least 13 sons and 14 daughters: *Empress: Takatsukasa Fusako (鷹司房子) later Shin-jyōsaimon’in (新上西門院), Takatsukasa Norihira’s daughter. **Third daughter: Imperial Princess Masako (1673–1746; 栄子内親王) married Nijo Tsunahira *Lady-in-waiting: Bōjō Fusako (1652–1676; 坊城房子), Bōjō Toshihiro’s daughter **Second daughter: Imperial Princess Ken'shi (憲子内親王; 1669–1688) married Konoe Iehiro *Lady-in-waiting: Chunagon-Naishi (1653–1691; 中納言典侍) **First son: Imperial Prince Priest Saishin (1671–1701; 済深法親王) *Lady-in-waiting: Matsuki Muneko (松木宗子) later Keihōmon’in (敬法門院), Mutsuki Muneatsu’s daughter **Fourth son: Imperial Prince Asahito (朝仁親王), also known as Tomohito Later Emperor Higashiyama **Fifth daughter: Imperial Princess Tomiko (福子内親王; 1676–1707) married Imperial Prince Fushimi-no-miya Kuninaga **Sixth daughter: Princess Eisyū (永秀女王; 1677–1725) **Seventh son: Imperial Prince Kyōgoku-no-miya Ayahito (1680–1711; 京極宮文仁親王) – Sixth Kyōgoku-no-miya **Seventh daughter: Princess Ume (1681–1683; 梅宮) **Eighth daughter: Imperial Princess Katsuko (1686–1716; 勝子内親王) **Eighth son: Prince Kiyo (1688–1693; 清宮) *Handmaid: Atago Fukuko (1656–1681; 愛宕福子), Atago Michitomi’s daughter **Second son: Imperial Prince Priest Kanryū (1672–1707; 寛隆法親王) **Fourth daughter: Princess Tsuna (1675–1677; 綱宮) *Handmaid: Gojō Yōko (1660–1683; 五条庸子), Gojō Tametsune’s daughter **Third son: Prince San (1675–1677; 三宮) **Fifth son: Imperial Prince Priest Gyōen (1676–1718; 尭延法親王) **Sixth son: Prince Tairei'in (1679; 台嶺院宮) *Handmaid: Higashikuze Hiroko (1672–1752; 東久世博子), Higashikuze Michikado’s daughter **Eleventh son: Prince Toku (1692–1693; 徳宮) **Twelfth son: Prince Riki (1697; 力宮) *Court lady: Onaikouji-no-Tsubone (?–1674; 多奈井小路局), Nishinotōin Tokinaga‘s Daughter **First daughter: Princess Chikōin (1669; 知光院宮) *Court lady:　Gojō Tsuneko (1673–?; 五条経子), Gojō Tametsune’s daughter **Ninth son: Prince Saku (1689–1692; 作宮) **Tenth son: Imperial Prince Priest Syō'ou (1690–1712; 性応法親王) **Ninth daughter: Princess Bunki (1693–1702; 文喜女王) **Tenth daughter: Princess Gensyū (1696–1752; 元秀女王) *Court lady: Tōshikibu-no-Tsubone (d.1746; 藤式部局), Reizei Sadaatsu‘s Daughter **Thirteenth son: Imperial Prince Priest Sonsyō (1699–1746; 尊賞法親王) **Eleventh daughter: Princess Bun'ō (1702–1754; 文応女王) *Court lady: Irie Itsuko (?–1763; 入江伊津子), Irie Sukenao’s daughter **Fourteenth son: Prince Kachi (1709–1713; 嘉智宮) **Twelfth daughter: Princess Tome (1711–1712; 留宮) *Court lady: Chūjō-no-Tsubone (1691–1753; 中将局), Kurahashi Yasusada‘s Daughter **Fifteenth son: Prince Mine (1710–1713; 峯宮) *Court lady:　Matsumuro Atsuko (?–1746; 松室敦子),　Matsumuro Shigeatsu’s daughter **Sixteenth son: Imperial Prince Arisugawa-no-miya Yorihito (1713–1769; 有栖川宮職仁親王) – Fifth Arisugawa-no-miya **Thirteenth daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (吉子内親王, 1714–1758), betrothed to ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Ietsugu **Eighteenth son: Imperial Prince Priest Gyōkyō (1717–1764; 尭恭法親王) *Court lady: Shōshō-no-Tsubone (1702–1728; 少将局), Minami Suketada’s daughter **Fourteenth daughter: Princess Yae (1721–1723; 八重宮) *Court lady:Matsumuro Nakako (1707–1751; 松室仲子), Matsumuro Shigenaka’s daughter **Seventeenth son: Imperial Prince Priest Son'in (1715–1740; 尊胤法親王) His

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishm ...

was created during the

Meiji Era The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

by combining the ''

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequ ...

'' from the names of two previous Emperors, Emperor Kōrei (孝霊) and Emperor Kōgen (孝元).

Events of Reigen's life

* 9 July 1654: The birth of an Imperial prince who will become known by the posthumous name of Reigen''-tennō''.Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999)
''Japans Kaiserhof in der Edo-Zeit'', p. 186.
/ref> * 1654: Prince Satohito, who is also known as ''Ate-no-miya'', is named as heir before the death of his eldest brother, Emperor Go-Kōmyō; however, the young prince is considered too young to become emperor. It is decided that until the young heir grows older, his elder brother will accede to the throne as

. * 5 March 1663 (''

Kanbun A is a form of Classical Chinese used in Japan from the Nara period to the mid-20th century. Much of Japanese literature was written in this style and it was the general writing style for official and intellectual works throughout the period. ...

3, 26th day of the 1st month''):

abdicated; and Prince Satohito received the succession (''senso''). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Reigen formally acceded (''sokui'') and his reign began. * 1665 (''Kanbun 5, 6th month''): Courts of inquisition were established in all the villages of Japan. These courts were charged with discovering and eliminating any vestiges of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

in each community.Titsingh
p. 414.
/ref> *1666 (''Kanbun 6, 4th month''): ''Hokke shu'' Buddhist religious practices are preserved for those who believe that their spiritual and moral purity may be tainted by close association with others. * 1667 (''Kanbun 7''): After fire destroyed the main temple structure, work on rebuilding at Nara commenced. * 13 February 1668 (''Kanbun 8, 1st day of the 2nd month''): A great fire broke out in Edo—a conflagration lasting 45 days. The disastrous fire was attributed to arson. * 1669 (''Kanbun 9''):There was a famine in this year; and a military expedition was sent to northern Honshū against Shakushain's Revolt. * 1673 (''

Enpō (contemporarily written as 延寳) is the after '' Kanbun'' and before '' Tenna.'' This period spanned the years from September 1673 to September 1681. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1673 : The new era of ''Enpō'' (meaning "Prolon ...

1''): There was a great fire in Kyoto. * 21 May 1673 (''Enpō 1, 5th day of the 4th month''): The Chinese

Buddhist 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 ...

teacher

Ingen Ingen Ryūki () (December 7, 1592 – May 19, 1673) was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and monk of Linji Chan Buddhism from China.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ingen" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ' ...

dies in the Ōbaku Zen temple, Manpuku-ji at Uji. * 1675 (''

3''): There was a great fire in Kyoto. * 4 June 1680 (''Enpō 8, 8th day of the 5th month''): ''Shōgun'' Ietsuna dies; and he is succeeded by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. * 15 June 1680 (''Enpō 8, 19th day of the 5th month''): Former- Emperor Go-Mizunoo died. * 1680 (''Enpō 8, 8th month''): A great flood devastates Edo. * 1680 (''Enpō 8''): Gokoku-ji is founded in Edo. * 1681 ('' Tenna 1''): Tsunyoshi's investiture as ''shōgun''. * 5 February 1682 (''Tenna 1, 28th day of the 12th month''): A great fire sweeps through Edo.Titsingh
p. 415.
/ref> * 1681 (''Tenna 2''): A great famine devastates Kyoto and the surrounding area. * 1682 (''Tenna 3''): Tomohito-shinnō is proclaimed Crown Prince; and the ceremonial investiture is held (after being in abeyance for over 300 years). * 26 March 1685 ('' Jōkyō 2, 22nd day of the 2nd month''): Former-

died; and a great comet was observed crossing the night sky. * 2 May 1687 (''Jōkyō 4, 21st day of the 3rd month''): Emperor Reigen abdicates in favor of his fifth son who will come to be known as Emperor Higashiyama. * 1687: Former-Emperor Reigen begins to rule as a cloistered emperor; and after abdication, Reigen's new home will be called the '' Sentō-gosho'' (the palace for an ex-Emperor).Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869'', p. 342. * 4 December 1696 Former

Empress Meishō was the 109th monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')明正天皇 (108)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 115. Her reign lasted from 1629 ...

died. * 1713: Former-Emperor Reigen enters a monastery under the name Sojō (素浄) * 1715: Former-Emperor Reigen's 13th daughter, Princess Yoshiko (1714-1758) married seventh Tokugawa ''shōgun'' Ietsugu * 1716: The seventh Tokugawa ''shōgun'' Ietsugu died, he was aged 7 * 24 September 1732 (''

Kyōhō , also pronounced Kyōho, was a after '' Shōtoku'' and before '' Gembun.'' This period spanned the years from July 1716 through April 1736. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1716 : The era name of ''Kyōhō'' (meaning "Underg ...

17, 24th day of the 9th month''): Reigen died; he was age 78. Emperor Reigen's memory is honored and preserved at his designated Imperial mausoleum (''misasagi''), '' Tsuki no wa no misasagi'' at Sennyū-ji in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. His immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo – Meishō, Go-Kōmyō and

Go-Sai , also known as , was the 111th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後西天皇 (111)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 116. Go-Sai' ...

are also enshrined along with his immediate Imperial successors, including Higashiyama, Nakamikado, Sakuramachi, Momozono, Go-Sakuramachi and Go-Momozono.Ponsonby-Fane, ''Imperial House'', p. 423.

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. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. 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 Reigen'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'',

Nijō Mitsuhira , son of Nijō Yasumichi, was a Japanese '' kugyō'' (court noble) of the early Edo period. He held regent positions kampaku from 1653 to 1663 and sesshō from 1663 to 1664. Nijō Tsunahira was his adopted son. With Imperial Fifth Princess Yoshi ...

, 1663–1664 * ''Sessho'',

Takatsukasa Fusasuke , son of Norihira, was a '' Kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the early Edo period (1603–1868). He held regent positions sesshō (from 1664 to 1668) and kampaku (from 1668 to 1682). Kanehiro and Sanesuke were his sons who he had with a dau ...

, 1664–1668 * '' Kampaku'',

, 1668–1682 * ''Kampaku'', Ichijō Kaneteru, 1682–1687 * ''

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 ...

'' * '' Udaijin'' * ''

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 ...

'' * '' Dainagon''

Eras of Reigen's reign

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

'' (1661–1673) * ''

'' (1673–1681) * '' Tenna'' (1681–1684) * '' Jōkyō'' (1684–1688)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999)
''Japans Kaiserhof in der Edo-Zeit: unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Jahre 1846 bis 1867''.
Münster: LIT Verlag.
OCLC 42041594
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869''. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * __________. (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 ...

''; 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