Japan 14

JAPANESE IMPERIAL

GENEALOGY

(The Early Kamakura Period)

1183 - 1198 Go-Toba Tennō, Eighty-First Emperor of Japan. Born Takanari Shinnō in 1180, he was raised to the throne in 1183 by the Minamoto warrior clan. The eras of his reign were: Juei (1183-1184), Genryaku (1184-1185, cut short by an earthquake in Kansai), Bunji (1185-1190) and Kenkyū (1190-1198). He was completely under the control of the Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. He married (first) in 1190, Gishūmon In born Kujō no Ninshi in 1173, Secondary Empress (1190-1196), she was forced to leave the Imperial Palace in 1196, eventually converting to Pure Land Buddhism, she died in 1237 (see KUJŌ). He married (second) Shōmeimon In, born Taira no Ariko in 1171, daughter of the priest Nōen, but stepdaughter of a member of the Minamoto Clan, shedied 1257 (see TAIRA). He married (third) Shūmeimon In, daughter of Fujiwara no Norisue (see FUJIWARA). He married (fourth) a daughter of Fujiwara no Nobukiyo, she was a high-profile early convert to Pure Land Buddhism. A sign of the more warlike times, Go-Toba enjoyed archery and horseriding rather than the poetry which was traditional for a member of the Imperial court. He abdicated in 1198 in order to become a Cloistered Emperor at Kaya no In Palace, becoming the central figure in opposition to the new Kamakura Shogunate. This opposition ultimately lead to the Jokyu War (1221), in which he was defeated by the forces of the Shogunate. He became a Buddhist priest, was exiled to the distant Oki Islands and died there in 1239. He had issue, including:

1) Tsuchimikado Tennō (son of Shōmeimon), Eighty-Second Emperor of Japan - see below.
2) Juntoku Tennō (son of Shūmeimon), Eighty-Third Emperor of Japan - see below.
3) Reizei Shinnō. After the Jokyu War in 1221, he was exiled to Kojima in Bizen.
4) Rokujō Shinnō. After the Jokyu War in 1221, he was exiled to Tajima.
?) Dōjō Hosshinnō (son of Nobukiyo's daughter). Born 1196, he became a Buddhist Priest at Ninna-ji. He died in 1249.
8) Sonkai Hosshinnō. Born 1204, he became a Buddhist lay-priest and was appointed Tendai Abbot in 1221. The appointment was contested on a legal technicality and then the Jokyu War broke out, and a stronger, more mature candidate was appointed Abbot instead. He died in 1246
1) Shunkamon In (daughter of Ninshi), born 1195, she was notably beautiful and favoured by her father. She was granted the title of Empress and died in 1211, aged sixteen.

1198 - 1210 Tsuchimikado Tennō, Eighty-Second Emperor of Japan. Born Tamehito Shinnō in 1195, he was appointed Emperor in 1198, by his father, who hoped to rule from behind the scenes and thereby wrest actual power back from the new military government. The eras of his reign were Kenkyū (1198-1199), Shōji (1199-1201), Kennin (1201-1204), Genkyū (1204-1206), Kenei (1206-1207) and Shōgen (1207-1210). He married in 1206 Onmeimon In, born Ōimikado no Reishi, a daughter of Ōimikado no Yorizane, who was Secondary Empress (1206-1210) (see ŌIMIKADO). He abdicated in 1210 because of the inauspiscious appearance of a comet. After the Jokyu War of 1221 he was exiled to Sado, in southern Shikoku. He died in Awa in 1231.

1210 - 1221 Juntoku Tennō, Eighty-Third Emperor of Japan. Born Morinari Shinnō in 1197, he was appointed Crown Prince in 1200 and succeeded his brother as Emperor in 1210. The eras of his reign were Shōgen (1210-1211), Kenryaku (1211-1213), Kenpō (1213-1219) and Jōkyū (1219-1221). Sectarian Buddhist conflict was notable in this reign: The Buddhists of Nara attacked the Tendai Buddhists at Mt Hiei in 1213, who themselves attacked the Tendai Buddhists of Mii-dera in 1214 and marched on the capital in 1218. He married in 1209 Higashi Ichijō In, born Kujō no Risshi in 1192, daughter of Kujō no Yoshitsune, she was Secondary Empress (1211-1221) and died 1247 (see KUJŌ). He abdicated in 1221, sparking the Jokyu War, in which he was on the losing side, he was exiled to the distant Sado Island and died there in 1242. He had issue, including:

1) Chūkyō Tennō (son of Higashi Ichijō), Eighty-Fourth Emperor of Japan - see below.
1) Meigimon In (daughter of Higashi Ichijō). Born 1217, she was granted the title of Empress.

1221 Chūkyō Tennō, Eighty-Fourth Emperor of Japan. Born Kanenari Shinnō in 1218, he was Crown Prince from birth and succeeded to the throne in 1221. The sole era of his reign was Jōkyū (1221). He was entirely under the control of Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba. His appointment was part of Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba's attempt to regain power from the Kamakura Shogunate and sparked the Jokyu War, in which Go-Toba was defeated. The forces of the Shogunate deposed Chukyo, who was known, until 1870 as Kujō Haitei (the dethroned Emperor of Kujo). He died in 1234.

1221 - 1232 Go-Horikawa Tennō, Eighty-Fifth Emperor of Japan. Born Yutahito Ō in 1212, he was a grandson of Emperor Takakura, and was placed on the throne in 1221 by the Shogunate afterits victoryin the Jokyu War. The eras of his reign were: Shōkyū (1221-1222), and Jōō (1222-1224). He abdicated in 1232 and died in 1234 .