Japan 10
JAPANESE IMPERIAL
GENEALOGY
(The Middle Heian Period)
897 - 930 Daigō Tennō, Sixtieth Emperor of Japan. Born Atsuhito Ō in 885, he was appointed Crown Prince in 893 and his father abdicated in his favour in 897, when he was still a child. The eras of his reign were: Kanpyō (897-898), Shōtai (898-901), Engi (901-923) and Enchō (923-930). He married Fujiwara no Onshi Kōgō born 885 and died 954, daughter of the Regent Fujiwara no Mototsune (see FUJIWARA). He was exceptionally independent, ruling without a Fujiwara regent for his entire reign. The Sugawara Incident occurred during this reign, and Daigō ordered all records destroyed, leaving us no idea what occurred. In 930, his palace at Heian was destroyed by lightening and he abdicated to become a Buddhist Priest, taking the name Hō Kongō. He died shortly afterwards. He had 36 children, including:
11) Suzuka Tennō (son of Onshi), Sixty-First Emperor of Japan - see below.
14) Murakami Tenno (son of Onshi), Sixty-Second Emperor of Japan - see below.
15?) Minamoto no Takaakira. Born 914, he descended to commoner status, founding the Minamoto (Daigō Genji) Clan. He had hoped to become Regent for his son-in-law, Tamehira Shinnō, and supposedly became rebellious in 967 when Tamehira was not made Crown Prince. His 'rebelliousness' was discovered, and he was demoted to Acting Governor-General of Kyushu in 969. He was recalled to the Capital in 972, amid rumours that the allegations against him had been false. He became a Buddhist Priest and died in 982, but left issue, including:
1) Minamoto no Toshikata. Born 960, he rose to the rank of Major Counselor. He was a close friend of the Regent Fujiwara no Michinaga and one of the 'Four Major Counselors,' which the Gukanshō calls "faultless noblemen."
1) A daughter who married her cousin Tamehira Shinnō, son of Emperor Murakami (see below).
1) A daughter, who had an affair with Fujiwara no Morosuke when he was Regent and had issue - see KANIN.
930 - 946 Suzuka Tennō, Sixty-First Emperor of Japan. Born Yutaakira Shinnō in 923, he was appointed Crown Prince in 925 and his father abdicated in his favour in 930, when he was still a child. The eras of his reign were: Enchō (930-931), Shōhei (931-938) and Tengyō (938-946). He was entirely under the control of his Regent, Fujiwara no Tadahira. His reign saw the first rebellion of the warrior clans; it occurred in distant provinces and was quickly put down, but it was a sign of things to come. He abdicated in 946 and died in 952.
946 - 967 Murakami Tennō (son of Onshi), Sixty-Second Emperor of Japan. Born Nariakira Shinnō in 926, he was appointed Crown Prince in 944 and his brother abdicated in his favour in 946. The eras of his reign were: Tengyō (946-947), Tenryaku (947-957), Tentoku (957-961), Ōwa (961-964) and Kōhō (964-967); he was commonly known as Tenryaku no Tennō. He was entirely under the control of his chief Ministers, Fujiwara no Saneyori and Fujiwara no Morosuke. The Tengyō Rebellion of Taira Masakado in Kanto was defeated in this reign, the first of the warrior clan uprisings which would topple civilian government two centuries later. He married a daughter of Fujiwara no Motokata (see FUJIWARA). He married Fujiwara no Yasuko, born 927 died 964, daughter of Fujiwara no Morosuke (see FUJIWARA). He died in 967, but left 19 children, including:
1) Hirohira Shinnō (son of Motokata's daughter). He was born sometime before 950, when he was passed over for the position of Crown Prince. His maternal grandfather was supposedly so furious about this that his vengeful ghost ruined the reigns of Emperors Reizei, Kazan and Sanjo.
2) Reizei Tennō (son of Yasuko), Sixty-Third Emperor of Japan - see below.
3) Tamehira Shinnō (son of Yasuko). He married a daughter of his uncle, Minamoto no Takaakira (see above). He was passed over as Crown Prince in 967, presumably because he had not married a Fujiwara.
5) Enyū Tennō (son of Yasuko), Sixty-Fourth Emperor of Japan - see below.
6) Tomohira Shinnō. Born 964. He died in 1009 but had issue, including:
a) Minamoto no Norisada. He descended to commoner status, becoming a member of the Minamoto (Murakami Genji) Clan. He achieved only the relatively lowly position of Captain of the Imperial Guards of the Right, but was advanced to the Third Rank. He had issue, including:
i) a daughter who married someone and had issue:
(1) Fujiwara no Michifusa. Born 1022, he was adopted by Fujiwara no Yorimichi, then the Regent, and became a Major Captain, but died young in 1044.
b) Minamoto no Morofusa. Born 1009, he descended to commoner status, becoming a member of the Minamoto (Murakami Genji) Clan. He was subsequently adopted by Fujiwara no Yorimichi, then the Regent. He was Major Captain of the Inner Palace Guards of the Left, Minister of the Centre (1060-1065) Major Captain of the Inner Palace Guards of the Right (1065-1077) and Minister of the Right (1065-1077). He died 1077, but had issue, including:
i) Minamoto no Akifusa. Born 1026, he died in 1094, but had issue, including:
(1) Fujiwara no Kenshi, born Minamoto no Kenshi in 1057, adopted as a child by Fujiwara no Morozane. She married Shirakawa Tennō, Seventy-First Emperor of Japan and had issue (see below). She was Shirakawa's favourite wife and his Secondary Empress (1072-1084), she died in 1084.
ii) Ninkaku. Born 1045. He became a Buddhist Priest, was Abbot of Ichijō-bō, and eventually Tendai Abbot (1093-1102). He died in 1102.
i) a daughter, she married Fujiwara no Morozane (see FUJIWARA).
a) Takahime who married Fujiwara no Yorimichi without issue (see FUJIWARA)
b) a daughter who married Atsuyasi Shinnō, and had issue (see below).
967 - 969 Reizei Tennō, Sixty-Third Emperor of Japan. Born Norihara Shinnō, in 950, he was Crown Prince from birth and succeeded his father in 967. The eras of his reign were: Kōhō (967-968) and Anna (968-969). He was entirely under the control of his Regent, Fujiwara no Saneyori. He married (first) Fujiwara no Kaishi, born 945 died 975, daughter of Fujiwara no Koretada (see FUJIWARA). He married (second) Fujiwara no Chōshi, she died 982 and was daughter of Fujiwara no Kaneie (see FUJIWARA). He abdicated in 969, shortly before he would have reached adulthood, and died in 1011, supposedly quite senile. He had issue, including:
1) Kazan Tennō (son of Kaishi), Sixty-Fifth Emperor of Japan - see below.
2) Sanjō Tennō (son of Chōshi), Sixty-Seventh Emperor of Japan - see below.
969 - 984 Enyū Tennō, Sixty-Fourth Emperor of Japan. Born Morihara Shinnō in 959, he was Crown Prince from 969 until his brother abdicated in his favour in 969. The eras of his reign were: Anna (969-970), Tenroku (970-973), Tenen (973-976), Jōgen (976-978), Tengen (978-983) and Eikan (983-984). He was entirely under the control of his Regents, in succession, Fujiwara no Saneyori, Fujiwara no Koretada, Fujiwara no Kanemichi and Fujiwara no Yoritada. He married Higashi Sanjō Kōgō, born Fujiwara Senshi in 961, died 1001, daughter of Fujiwara Kaneie (see FUJIWARA). He abdicated in 984 and in 985 he entered the Buddhist Priesthood, taking the name Kongō Hō. He died in 991, but left issue, a single child:
1) Ichijō Tennō (son of Higashi Sanjō), Sixty-Sixth Emperor of Japan - see below.
984 - 986 Kazan Tennō (son of Kaishi), Sixty-Fifth Emperor of Japan. Born Morosada Shinnō in 968, he was Crown Prince from 969 until his uncle's abdication in 984. The eras of his reign were: Eikan (984-985) and Kanwa (985-986). He was entirely under the control of the Middle Counselor Fujiwara no Yoshichika. He married a daughter of Fujiwara no Tamemitsu, born 967 died 986. The death of his beloved Empress in 986 left him heartbroken and, shortly thereafter, he rashly abdicated to become a Buddhist Priest at Kazan Shūdōin, taking the name Nyūkaku. He had expected a favourite courtier to join him and when this did not occur his ardour for Buddhism cooled. He began to court the sister of his deceased Empress; she already had a suitor, whose brother attempted to kill Kazan with a bow in 996 but just barely missed. He died in 1008.