Junbo-Ritsugō ( or 准母 (Junbo)), is a Japanese title referring to an honorary empress, or the honorary mother of the

Japanese emperor 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 ...

Usage of the title

The title was used when the emperor needed an honorary empress to perform certain tasks. The title was only used ceremonially, typically by a female relative who was a previous empress. It could also be used for an honorary empress dowager, not just an honorary empress consort.

History

The title first came to use in 1091. The former ''

Saiō or was the title of the unmarried female members of the Imperial House of Japan, Japanese Imperial Family, sent to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century to the 14th century. The 's residence, , was about north-west of the shrine ...

'', Princess Yasuko, was made the honorary empress for her brother,

Emperor Horikawa was the 73rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 堀河天皇 (73)/ref> according to the traditional List of emperors of Japan, order of succession. Horikawa's reign spanned the years from Heian period, 1087 through 1107 ...

. It was odd for the empress to be her husband's sister, but she was actually Hodrikawa's nurse, and adoptive mother, and she would retire in 1093.

List

* Princess Yasuko – the nurse and adoptive mother of her younger brother. She retired from the position in 1093. * Princess Reishi – appointed as honorary empress in 1108 to her nephew

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 Ch ...

. She served until she became a nun in 1130. * Princess Toshi – honorary empress to her nephew, the

Emperor Nijō was the 78th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1158 through 1165. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Morihito''- ...

. She retired when Emperor Nijō married and his wife Princess Yoshiko became empress. * Princess Sukeko – the only empress to be honorary empress twice, first as honorary mother to her nephew

Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. His death marked the end of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period. During this time, the Im ...

, and then to

Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; ...

. *

Princess Noriko , formerly , is a former member of the Imperial House of Japan and the second daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado and Hisako, Princess Takamado. She married Kunimaro Senge, a commoner, on 5 October 2014. As a result, she gave up her imperia ...

– honorary empress to her nephew,

Emperor Tsuchimikado was the 83rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 土御門天皇 (83)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 86–87. Tsuchimikado's reig ...

. She was a '' Saiin''. *

Princess Shōshi (1195–1211) , also known as , was an Empress of Japan during the early Kamakura period. She was empress as the honorary mother (准母; ''junbo'') of her brother, Emperor Juntoku (22 October 1197 – 7 October 1242) was the 84th emperor of Japan, accord ...

– honorary empress to her brother,

Emperor Juntoku (22 October 1197 – 7 October 1242) was the 84th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221, a part of Japan's Kamakura Period. Genealogy Before his ascension to the C ...

. *

Princess Kuniko Princess Kuniko (邦子内親王; 1209 – 26, September 1283), also known as Princess Hoshi and Ankamon-in (安嘉門院), was an Empress of Japan during the Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks ...

– honorary empress to her brother,

Emperor Go-Horikawa (22 March 1212 – 31 August 1234) was the 86th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1221 through 1232. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 11th-century Emperor Horika ...

. She was also the

surrogate mother Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child's legal parents after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, danger ...

Emperor Kameyama was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1260 through 1274. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was . He was ...

, and served as honorary empress until she became a nun in 1235. * Princess Rishi – honorary empress to her nephew,

Emperor Shijō (17 March 1231 – 10 February 1242) was the 87th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1232 through 1242. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name ...

. She was first made his honorary empress, but then would later become his honorary mother. She would serve until 1239, when she became a nun, and was bestowed the

Dharma name A Dharma name is a new name acquired during both lay and monastic Buddhist initiation rituals in Mahayana Buddhism and Pabbajjā, monastic ordination in Theravada Buddhism (where it is more proper to call it Dhamma or Sangha name). The name is ...

, Shinseichi. She was given the title, Shikiken Mon'in on the same day. * Princess Teruko – honorary mother to her nephew,

Emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years Kamakura period, 1242 through 1246. This 13th-century monarch, sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Saga and ''go-'' (後 ...

. *

Princess Shōshi (1286–1348) was a Japanese princess who briefly served as honorary empress for her younger brother Emperor Go-Daigo. Princess Shōshi was the daughter of Emperor Go-Uda and court lady Itsutsuji (Fujiwara) Chushi. She served as Saiō for her half-brother Em ...

– briefly served as honorary empress for her brother,

Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order o ...

, before becoming a nun the same year in 1319. She received the Dharma name Shinrikaku.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Junbo-Ritsugō Japanese empresses

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Noble titles of women Japanese heraldry Japanese nobility ja:准母 zh:尊稱皇后

Usage of the title

History

List

See also

References