was the 52nd

emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional

order of succession An order, line 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.809 to 823.

Traditional narrative

Saga was the second son of Emperor Kanmu and Fujiwara no Otomuro. Brown and Ishida, p. 280. His personal name was . Saga was an "accomplished calligrapher" able to compose in Chinese who held the first imperial poetry competitions (). According to legend, he was the first Japanese emperor to drink tea. Saga is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family, and the keeping of the Privy Seal of Japan, Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century ...

designates , in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto, as the location of Saga's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

Events of Saga's life

* 806 Saga became the crown prince at age 21. * June 17, 809 (): In the 4th year of Emperor Heizei's reign, he fell ill and abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by Kanmu's second son Saga, the eldest son having become a Buddhist priest. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Saga is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). Soon after his enthronement, Saga himself took ill. At the time the retired Heizei had quarreled with his brother over the ideal location of the court, the latter preferring the Heian capital, while the former was convinced that a shift back to the Nara plain was necessary, and Heizei, exploiting Saga's weakened health, seized the opportunity to foment a rebellion, known historically as the Kusuko Incident; however, forces loyal to Emperor Saga, led by '' taishōgun'' Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, quickly defeated the Heizei rebels which thus limited the adverse consequences which would have followed any broader conflict. This same Tamuramaro is remembered in Aomori's annual Nebuta Matsuri which feature a number of gigantic, specially-constructed, illuminated paper floats. These great lantern-structures are colorfully painted with mythical figures; and teams of men carry them through the streets as crowds shout encouragement. This early ninth century military leader is commemorated in this way because he is said to have ordered huge illuminated lanterns to be placed at the top of hills; and when the curious Emishi approached these bright lights to investigate, they were captured and subdued by Tamuramaro's men. * August 24, 842 (): Saga died at the age of 57.

Eras of Saga's reign

The years of Saga's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name (''nengō''). * '' Daidō'' (806–810) * '' Kōnin'' (810–824)

Legacy

In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the ''Gempeitōkitsu'' (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the Minamoto clan are also known as Genji (源氏), and of these, the Saga Genji (嵯峨源氏) are descended from 52nd emperor Saga. Saga's son, Minamoto no Tōru, is thought to be an inspiration for the protagonist of the novel '' The Tale of Genji''. Emperor Saga played an important role as a stalwart supporter of the

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

monk Kūkai. The emperor helped Kūkai to establish the

Shingon is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called "Tōmitsu" (東密 lit. "Esoteric uddhismof Tō- ...

School of Buddhism by granting him Tō-ji Temple in the capital Heian-kyō (present-day

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

Daikaku-ji

is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku in Kyoto. The site was originally a residence of the emperor, and later various emperor conducted their cloistered rule from here. The artificial lake of the temple, Ōsawa Pond, is one of the oldest

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...

ponds to survive from the

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 Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

. The '' Saga Go-ryū'' school of ''

ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting Evergreen, evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as yorishiro () to invite the go ...

'' has its headquarters in the temple and is named in his honour.

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 hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

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 Saga's reign (809–823), this ''kugyō'' included: * '' Sadaijin'' * '' Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Uchimaro (藤原内麿), 806–812. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Sonohito (藤原園人), 812–818. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu (藤原冬嗣), 821–825. * ''Udaijin'', Tachibana no Ujikimi. * '' Naidaijin'' * ''

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 ...

Consorts and children

Saga had 49 children with at least 30 different women. Many of the children received the surname Minamoto, thereby removing them from royal succession. *Empress: Tachibana no Kachiko (橘嘉智子), also known as , Tachibana no Kiyotomo's daughter.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, pp. 318–319. **Second Son: Imperial Prince Masara (正良親王) later Emperor Ninmyō **Imperial Princess Seishi (正子内親王; 810–879), married to Emperor Junna **Imperial Princess Hideko (秀子内親王; d. 850) **Imperial Prince Hidera (秀良親王; 817–895) **Imperial Princess Toshiko (俊子内親王; d. 826) **Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (芳子内親王; d. 836) **Imperial Princess Shigeko (繁子内親王; d. 865) *''Hi'' (deposed): Imperial Princess Takatsu (高津内親王; d. 841), Emperor Kanmu’s daughter **Second Prince: Imperial Prince Nariyoshi (業良親王; d. 868) **Imperial Princess Nariko (業子内親王; d. 815) *''Hi'': Tajihi no Takako (多治比高子; 787–825), Tajihi no Ujimori's daughter *''Bunin'': Fujiwara no Onatsu (藤原緒夏; d. 855), Fujiwara no Uchimaro's daughter *Court lady (''Naishi-no-kami''): Kudara no Kyomyō (百済王慶命; d. 849), Kudara no Kyōshun's daughter **Minamoto no Yoshihime (源善姫; b. 814) **Minamoto no Sadamu (源定; 815–863) **Minamoto no Wakahime (源若姫) **Minamoto no Shizumu (源鎮; 824–881) *''Nyōgo'': Kudara no Kimyō (百済貴命; d. 851), Kudara no Shuntetsu's daughter **Imperial Prince Motora (基良親王; d. 831) **Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Tadara (忠良親王; 819–876) **Imperial Princess Motoko (基子内親王; d. 831) *''Nyōgo'': Ōhara no Kiyoko (大原浄子; d. 841), Ōhara no Ietsugu's daughter **Tenth Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Ninshi'' (仁子内親王; d. 889), 15th Saiō in Ise Shrine 809–823 *''Koui'': Iidaka no Yakatoji (飯高宅刀自), Iidaka Gakuashi **Minamoto no Tokiwa (源常; 812–854) **Minamoto no Akira (源明; 814–852/853) *''Koui'': Akishino no Koko (秋篠高子/康子), Akishino no Yasuhito's daughter **Minamoto no Kiyoshi (源清) *''Koui'': Yamada no Chikako (山田近子) **Minamoto no ''Hiraku(?)'' (源啓; 829–869) **Minamoto no Mituhime (源密姫) *''Nyōgo'': Princess Katano (交野女王), Prince Yamaguchi's daughter **Eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Uchiko (有智子内親王; 807–847), 1st Saiin in Kamo Shrine 810–831 *Court lady: Takashina no Kawako (高階河子), Takashina no Kiyoshina's daughter **Imperial Princess ''Sōshi'' (宗子内親王; d. 854) *Court lady: Hiroi no Otona's daughter **Seventh Son: Minamoto no Makoto (源信) *Court lady: Fuse no Musashiko (布勢武蔵子) **Minamoto no Sadahime (源貞姫; 810–880) **Minamoto no Hashihime (源端姫) *Court lady: Kamitsukeno clan's daughter **Minamoto no Hiromu (源弘; 812–863) *Court lady: Abe no Yanatsu's daughter **Minamoto no Yutaka (源寛; 813–876) *Court lady: Kasa no Tsugiko (笠継子), Kasa no Nakamori's daughter **Minamoto no Ikeru (源生; 821–872) *Court lady: Awata clan's daughter **Minamoto no Yasushi (源安; 822–853) *Court lady: Ōhara no Matako (大原全子), Ōhara no Mamuro's daughter ** Minamoto no Tōru (源融), ''Sadaijin'' **Minamoto no Tsutomu (源勤; 824–881) **Minamoto no Mitsuhime (源盈姫) *Court lady: Ki clan's daughter **Minamoto no Sarahime (源更姫) *Court lady: Kura no Kageko (内蔵影子) **Minamoto no Kamihime (源神姫) **Minamoto no ''Katahime'' (源容姫) **Minamoto no Agahime (源吾姫) *Court lady: Kannabi no Iseko (甘南備伊勢子) **Minamoto no Koehime (源声姫) *Court lady: Fun'ya no Fumiko (文屋文子), Fun'ya no Kugamaro's daughter ** Imperial Princess ''Junshi'' (純子内親王; d. 863) ** Imperial Princess ''Seishi'' (斉子内親王; d. 853), married to Prince Fujii (son of Emperor Kanmu) ** Prince Atsushi (淳王) *Court lady: Tanaka clan's daughter **Minamoto no ''Sumu(?)'' (源澄) *Court lady: Koreyoshi no Sadamichi's daughter **Minamoto no Masaru (源勝) *Court lady: Ōnakatomi no Mineko (大中臣峯子) *Court lady: Tachibana no Haruko (橘春子) *Court lady: Nagaoka no Okanari's daughter **Minamoto no ''Sakashi(?)'' (源賢) *Court lady (''Nyoju''): Taima no Osadamaro's daughter ** Minamoto no Kiyohime (源潔姫; 810–856), married to Fujiwara no Yoshifusa **Minamoto no Matahime (源全姫; 812–882), Naishi-no-kami (尚侍) *Lady-in-waiting: Sugawara Kanshi (菅原閑子) *(from unknown women) **Minamoto no ''Tsugu (?)'' (源継) **Minamoto no Yoshihime (源良姫) **Minamoto no Toshihime (源年姫)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* 嵯峨山上 * * * * *

External links

Another photo of Emperor Saga's mausoleum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saga, Emperor Emperors of Japan 9th-century Japanese calligraphers 786 births 842 deaths 9th-century Japanese monarchs Japanese emperors who abdicated