Japan 9

JAPANESE IMPERIAL

GENEALOGY

(The Early Heian Period)

850 - 858 Montoku Tennō, Fifty-Fifth Emperor of Japan. Born Michiyasu Ō in 826, he was promoted to Crown prince in 842, at the instigation of his maternal uncle, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, who hoped to rule through him. The eras of his reign were: Kashō (850-851), Ninju (851-854), Saikō (854-857) and Tenan (857-858). He married Samedono Kōgō, born Fujiwara Akirakeiko, daughter of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa. He died in 858 but left 29 children, including:

858 - 876 Seiwa Tennō, Fifty-Sixth Emperor of Japan. Born Korehito Shinnō in 850, he was made Crown Prince in the same year and was still a child when he succeeded to the throne in 858. The eras of his reign were: Tenan (858-859) and Jōgan (859-876). He was known as Mizu no O no Tennō. He was entirely under the control of his Regent and maternal grandfather, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, throughout his reign. Henceforth all Emperors, regardless of their age, had a Fujiwara Regent to reign on their behalf, and their power, and that of the entire bureaucracy over which they presided, evaporated. He married Fujiwara no Takaiko, daughter of Fujiwara no Nagara (see FUJIWARA). He abdicated in 876, and entered the Buddhist priesthood in 878, taking the name Soshin, and residing at Seiwa Shūdōin, where he died in 880. He had 18 children, including:

876 - 884 Go-Yōzei Tennō, Fifty-Seventh Emperor of Japan. Born Sadaakira Shinnō in 868, he was made Crown Prince the following year and received the throne in 876. The eras of his reign were: Jōgan (876-877) and Gangyō (877-884). He was entirely under the control of his Regent and maternal uncle, Fujiwara no Mototsune, throughout his reign. As he entered his teenage years he became boorish, cruel and violent and as a result his Regent forced him to abdicate in 884. He died in 949, but left nine children.

884 - 887 Kōkō Tennō, Fifty-Eighth Emperor of Japan. Born Tokiyasu Shinnō in 830. The eras of his reign were: Jōgan (884-885) and Ninna (885-887). He was known as Komatsu no Tennō and was entirely under the control of his Regent Fujiwara no Mototsune, who was responsible for his appointment and that of his successor. He married Hanshi Kōgō, daughter of Nagano Ō, a member of the Imperial family and Minister of Ceremonies. He died in 887 but left 41 children, including:

887 - 897 Uda Tennō, Fifty-Ninth Emperor of Japan. Born Sadami Ō in 867, he succeeded to the throne at twenty. The eras of his reign were: Ninna (887-889) and Kanpyō (889-897). He felt himself unfit to govern and left all decisions to his Regent Fujiwara Mototsune, who was responsible for his appointment, until he died in 891. He married Fujiwara no Taneko, daughter of Fujiwara no Takafuji (see FUJIWARA). He abdicated in 897 and in 900 he entered the Buddhist Priesthood, taking the name Kongō Kaku, but he was more commonly known as Teiji no Jōkō or Kanpyō no Hōō. He resided at Teiji Shūdōin, studying under Kukai, founder of Shingon Buddhism and died there in 931, reputedly having achieved enlightenment. He left twenty children, including: