was the 59th

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

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 ...

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 ...

(''Kunaichō'')
宇多天皇 (59)
/ref> 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.887 through 897.

Traditional narrative

Name and legacy

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 (''

imina in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name. Japanese names are usually written in kanji, where the pronunciation follows a special set of rules. Because parents when naming children, and foreigners when adoptin ...

'') was or ''Chōjiin-tei''. Emperor Uda was the third son of

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 Chr ...

. His mother was Empress Dowager Hanshi, a daughter of Prince Nakano (who was himself a son of

Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kammu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the scop ...

). Uda had five Imperial consorts and 20 Imperial children.Brown, p. 289. Particularly important sons include: * Prince Atsuhito (884–930) * Prince Atsuzane (893–967)

Historical background

In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the '' Gempeitōkitsu'' . One of these clans, the

Minamoto clan was a Aristocracy (class), noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the Imperial House of Japan, imperial family who were excluded from the List of emperors of Japan, line of succession and demoted into the ranks of Nobili ...

, is also known as Genji. Some of Uda's grandchildren were granted the surname ''Minamoto'', the most used surname for former Japanese royalty. In order to distinguish Uda's descendants from other Genji, they became known as the

Uda Genji The {{nihongo, Uda Genji, 宇多源氏} were the successful and powerful line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that were descended from Emperor Uda (宇多天皇). Overview Many of the famous Minamoto warriors, including Sasaki clan (佐々木� ...

, some of which moved to

Ōmi Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō Circuit (subnational entity), circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, ...

and became known as Sasaki clan or Ōmi Genji . Among the Uda Genji, Minamoto no Masazane , a son of Prince Atsumi succeeded in the court. Masazane became ''

sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Sadaijin'' in the context of a cent ...

'' (Minister of the Left). One of Masazane's daughters, Minamoto no Rinshi married

Fujiwara no Michinaga was a Japanese statesman. The Fujiwara clan's control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership. Early life Michinaga was born in Kyōto, the son of Kaneie. Kaneie had become Regent in 986, holding the position unt ...

and from this marriage three empresses dowagers and two regents (''sesshō'') were born. From Masanobu, several

kuge The was a Japanese Aristocracy (class), aristocratic Social class, class that dominated the Japanese Imperial Court in Kyoto. The ''kuge'' were important from the establishment of Kyoto as the capital during the Heian period in the late 8th ce ...

families originated including the Niwata, Ayanokōji, Itsutsuji, Ōhara and Jikōji. From his fourth son Sukeyosi, the Sasaki clan originated, and thus Kyōgoku clan originated. These descendants are known as Ōmi Genji today. From this line, Sasaki Takauji made a success at the Muromachi shogunate and the

Amago clan The , descended from the Emperor Uda (868–897) by the Kyogoku clan, descending from the Sasaki clan (Uda Genji). Kyogoku Takahisa in the 14th century, lived in Amako-go (Izumo Province), and took the name 'Amago'. The family crest is also t ...

originated from his brother.

Events of Uda's life

Uda's father, Emperor Kōkō, demoted his sons from the rank of imperial royals to that of subjects in order to reduce the state expenses, as well as their political influence. Sadami was given the clan name of

Minamoto was a noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility since 814."...the Minamoto (1192-1333)". ''Warrior Rule in Jap ...

and named Minamoto no Sadami. Later, in 887, when Kōkō needed to appoint his successor, Sadami was once again promoted to the Imperial Prince rank with support of '' kampaku'' Fujiwara no Mototsune, since Sadami was adopted by a half-sister of Mototsune. After the death of his father in November of that year, Sadami''-shinnō'' ascended to the throne. * September 17, 887 ('' Ninna 3, 26th day of the 8th month'') NengoCalc
仁和三年八月二十六日 -->: Emperor Kōkō died; and his third son received the succession (''senso''). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Uda formally acceded to the throne (''sokui''). * December 5, 887 (''Ninna 3, 17th day of the 11th month''): Mototsune asked Uda for permission to retire from his duties; but the emperor is said to have responded, "My youth limits my ability to govern; and if you stop offering me your good counsel, I will be obliged to abdicate and to retire to a monastery." Therefore, Mototsune continued to serve as the new emperor's ''kampaku''.Titsingh
p. 126.
/ref> * 888 (''Ninna 4, 8th month''): Construction of the newly created Buddhist temple of was completed; and a former disciple of Kōbō-daishi was installed as the new abbot. * 889 ('' Kanpyō 1, 10th month''): The former emperor Yōzei became deranged, and afflicted by mental illness. Yōzei would enter the palace and address courtiers he would meet with the greatest rudeness. He became increasingly furious. He garroted women with the strings of musical instruments and then threw the bodies into a lake. While riding on horseback, he directed his mount to run over people. Sometimes he simply disappeared into the mountains where he chased wild boars and red deer. In the beginning of Uda's reign, Mototsune held the office of ''kampaku'' (or chancellor). Emperor Uda's reign is marked by a prolonged struggle to reassert power by the Imperial Family away from the increasing influence of the Fujiwara, beginning with the death of Mototsune in 891. Records show that shortly thereafter, Emperor Uda assigned scholars Sukeyo and Kiyoyuki, supporters of Mototsune, to provincial posts in the remote provinces of Mutsu and Higo respectively. Meanwhile, non-Fujiwara officials mainly from the

family were promoted to prominent ranks, while his trusted counselor,

Sugawara no Michizane , or , was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in '' waka'' and '' kanshi'' poetry, and is today revered in Shinto as the god of learning, . In the famed poem anthology ' ...

rapidly rose in rank within five years to reach the third rank in the court, and supervision of the Crown Prince's household. Meanwhile, Mototsune's son and heir,

Fujiwara no Tokihira was a Japanese statesman, courtier, regent and politician of the powerful Fujiwara clan during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tokihira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Career Tokihira was a minister ...

, rose in rank, but only just enough to prevent an open power struggle. Meanwhile, Emperor Uda attempted to return Court politics to the original spirit envisioned in the

Ritsuryō is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...

Codes, while reviving intellectual interest in Confucian doctrine and culture. In the seventh month of 896, Emperor Uda dispatched Sugawara no Michizane to review prisoners in the capitol and provide a general amnesty for the wrongfully accused, in keeping with Chinese practices. Emperor Uda also issued edicts reinforcing peasant land rights from encroachment by powerful families in the capital or monastic institutions, while auditing tax collections made in the provinces. Emperor Uda stopped the practice of sending ambassadors to China . The emperor's decision was informed by what he understood as persuasive counsel from Sugawara Michizane. The Special Festival of the Kamo Shrine was first held during Uda's reign.Brown, p. 290. In 897, Uda abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Prince Atsuhito, who would later come to be known as

Emperor Daigo was the 60th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 醍醐天皇 (60)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial. Gen ...

. Uda left behind an hortatory will or testament which offered general admonitions or precepts for his son's guidance (''see excerpt at right''). The document praises Fujiwara no Tokihira as an advisor but cautions against his womanizing; and Sugawara no Michizane is praised as Uda's mentor. Both were assigned by Emperor Uda to look after his son until the latter reach maturity. Three years later, he entered the Buddhist priesthood at age 34 in 900. Having founded the temple at

Ninna-ji is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was first founded in AD 888 by Emperor Uda, and was later reconstructed in the 17th century. It is part of the Historic Monuments of ...

, Uda made it his new home after his abdication. His Buddhist name was Kongō Kaku. He was sometimes called "the Cloistered Emperor of Teiji ", because the name of the Buddhist hall where he resided after becoming a priest was called Teijiin. Uda died in 931 (''

Shōhei was a Japanese era (年號, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōkoku and before Kentoku. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Cou ...

1, 19th day of the 7th month'') at the age of 65. The actual site of Uda's

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

(''misasagi'') at Kyoto. The

designates this location as Uda'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 ...

. It is formally named ''Kaguragaoka no Higashi no misasagi''. The former emperor is buried amongst the "Seven Imperial Tombs" at Ryōan-ji Temple in Kyoto. The mound which commemorates the Hosokawa Emperor Uda is today named ''O-uchiyama''. The emperor's burial place would have been quite humble in the period after Uda died. These tombs reached their present state as a result of the 19th century restoration of imperial sepulchers which were ordered by Emperor Meiji.

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 Uda'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 Jap ...

'' included: * '' Kampaku'', Fujiwara no Mototsune * ''

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. It was equivalent to the Chinese , or Grand Preceptor. History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, was the first to have been acco ...

'', Fujiwara no Mototsune * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Sadaijin'' in the context of a cent ...

'', Minamoto no Tōru * ''Sadaijin'', Fujiwara no Yoshiyo * ''

Udaijin was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 701. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Udaijin'' in the context of a central administrat ...

'', Minamoto no Masaru * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Yoshiyo * ''Udaijin'', Minamoto no Yoshiari * ''

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 ...

'' (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 ...

Eras of Uda's reign

The years of Uda'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 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 rule, a t ...

, or ''

nengō The or , 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 "", meaning "origin, basis"), followed b ...

''.Titsingh
p. 125.
/ref> * '' Ninna'' (885–889) * '' Kanpyō'' (889–898)

Consorts and children

Consort ( Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Onshi'' , Fujiwara no Mototsune’s daughter *Imperial Princess ''Kinshi'' , married to Imperial Prince Atsuyoshi Consort (Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Inshi'' , Fujiwara no Takafuji’s daughter *First Son: Imperial Prince Atsugimi later

*Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Atsuyoshi *Imperial Prince Atsukata *Imperial Princess ''Jūshi'' , 25th

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 ...

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

(897–930) *Eighth Son: Imperial Prince Atsumi Consort (Nyōgo): Tachibana no Yoshiko/''Gishi'' , Tachibana no Hiromi's daughter *Second Son: Imperial Prince Tokinaka *Third Son: Imperial Prince Tokiyo later Imperial Prince Priest Shinjaku *Imperial Prince Tokikuni *Fourth Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Kunshi'' , 10th Saiin in Kamo Shrine (893–902) Consort (Nyōgo): Sugawara no Hiroko/''Enshi'' ,

’s daughter * Minamoto no Junshi married Fujiwara no Tadahira Consort (Nyōgo): Tachibana no Fusako Court Attendant ( Koui): Minamoto no Sadako , Minamoto no Noboru's daughter *Imperial Princess ''Ishi'' Court Attendant (Koui): Princess ''Norihime'' , Prince Tōyo's daughter *Imperial Princess ''Fushi'' Court Attendant (Koui): Fujiwara no Yasuko , Fujiwara no Arizane's daughter *Imperial Princess ''Kaishi'' , married to Imperial Prince Motoyoshi (son of Emperor Yōzei) *Imperial Princess ''Kishi'' Court Attendant (Koui): Minamoto no Hisako Court Attendant (Koui): Fujiwara no Shizuko Lady-in-waiting: Fujiwara no ''Hōshi'' ,

’s daughter *Imperial Prince Masaakira *Imperial Prince Noriakira *Imperial Prince Yukiakira Court lady: A daughter of Fujiwara no Tsugukage, '' Ise'' *prince (died young) (from unknown women) *Imperial Prince Yukinaka *Imperial Princess ''Seishi'' *Minamoto no ''Shinshi''

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press. ; * Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida. (1975). ''The Tale of the Heike''. Tokyo:

University of Tokyo Press The is a university press affiliated with the University of Tokyo in Japan. It was founded in 1951, following the post-World War II reorganization of the university. The press is currently a member of the Association of University Presses. H ...

. * Moscher, Gouverneur. (1978). ''Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide.'' ; * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the 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 in t ...

''; 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. ;