A "Quick" Guide to Some Important Japanese Emperors

Feb 24
8 min read

Who are the Important Japanese Emperors?

At the time of this writing, there have been 126 Emperors of Japan. That’s a lot, so I have gone through the history and selected the most notable or interesting emperors to compile a list of who some of these emperors were and what they were doing.

A grouping of Important Japanese emperors

Japan has had many emperors, some more significant than others but there are a lot of them. The princes and emperors of Japan are required to memorize them and they have some incentive as they are their ancestors. I want to present some of the important Japanese Emperors here for your perusal and to give greater context and structure to Japanese history.

Information about the early emperors is without a doubt seeking to do several things.

Establish the legitimacy of the Yamato family lineage
Create etymologies and origin stories for the development of key cultural and social institutions. Weaving into the narrative, elements that legitimize the authority of the Yamato family.

EARLY TENNO

1st Jinmu Tenno - Reign: 660–585 BC Life: 711 BC/ 721 BC to 585 BC

Jimmu Tenno in traditional armor holds a bow, with arrows on his back. Green foliage in the background. Calm expression, intricate details.

The first legendary emperor of Japan

An Emperor of Legend - highly improbable to correspond to a real person who ever lived.
The narrative has him journeying from the south (Kyushu area) to the Nara basin and establishing a polity. (This is most likely reflects a mythological past of reflecting events closer to the the life of Ojin Tenno or the compiling compilers of the Kojiki (Tenmu Tenno - Genmei Tenno)

15th Ojin Tenno - Reign: 270-310 Life: 201-310

Ojin Tenno on a horse. Hachiman Kami — Ojin Tenno / Hachiman Kami

First emperor with historically verifiable data.

Thought to have come into the region and established himself as a ruler. (conquest_) his administration built roads, ponds and established guilds (be). He maintained relations with Paekje in the Korean peninsula (maybe he was Korean himself?)

Fostered relations between the Islands and the continent (Korea and China)

Has been deified as Hachiman, Kami of War

25th Buretsu Tenno - Reign: 499 - 507 Life: 489 - 507

26th Keitai Tenno: Reign: 507 - 2-531 Life: 450 - 531

Buretsu Tenno on the right and Keitai Tenno on the left — Buretsu Tenno - Keitai Tenno

A likely split in the dynasty.

This is one of my favorite events of Japanese pre/proto history

In the records, Buretsu is depicted as a corrupt and evil Tenno, along with a beautiful wife who encourages his despicable behavior. Then out of the north a distant family member comes to take up the mantle of Tenno (Keitai) and to return dignity and benevolence to the Imperial Court. Many see this transition as a lineage break, and it does appear that Keitai may have been an invading leader who conquered the Yamato court and assumed the position of Tenno. Keitai’s children are also believed to have fought each other to inherit their father’s position. Similar transition narrative to the Chinese emperor King Zhou of Shang (Shāng Dì Xīn)

RISE OF THE SOGA CLAN

30th Bidatsu Tenno - Reign 572 - 585 Life 538 - 585

Father of Prince Shotoku and husband of Suiko.

Soga no Umako and Mononobe no Moriya. They were to war with each other over the rule Japan. — Soga no Umako / Mononobe no Moriya

33st Suiko Tenno Reign: 593 - 628 Life: 554 - 628

The first female Tenno, although this fact is somewhat compromised by the role her nephew, Prince Shotoku, and the head of the Soga Clan, Soga no Umako, played in administering the state. This is a great early example of the political role the Tenno played in Japan. The Tenno is a position from which power emits on a rhetorical level and just like the shoguns would wield power they claim came from the Tenno, Shotoku and Umako would wield power that they claim resided in the person of Suiko Tenno.

Downfall of the Soga Clan

After Suiko Tenno died, Soga no Umako backed and enthroned the next Tenno.

38th Tenji Tenno Reign 661 - 672 Life 626 – 672

Tenji Tenno only reigned as Tenno for 11 years but effectively controlled the government for 27 years (645 - 672) There were three Tenno over which he ruled the government; his mother and younger brother were both Tenno. He is also partly responsible for the end of the Soga clan’s control of the government.

After Suiko Tenno died (628), Jomei Tenno (34th) was placed on the throne by the Soga Clan. During Jomei Tenno’s reign, the Yamato court and government was functionally ruled by the Soga Clan, headed by Soga no Emishi. .

After Jomei passed away (641), his wife Kogyoku Tenno (35th) was elevated to the position of Tenno. Highly likely that she was a political puppet of the Soga Clan. After her son (Tenji Tenno 39th) helped exterminate the main controlling branch of the Soga Clan (645), Kogyoku Tenno abdicated. (Soga no Umako’s line. Soga no Emishi also dies) Tenji refused to become Tenno at this time and married into the remaining branch of the Soga clan. Kohyoku’s younger brother became Tenno (Kotoku /36th) but it is likely that Tenji is actually controlling the government.

In one year 645, The Soga clan is extinguished, Kogyoku abdicates the throne and then Kotoku/ Tenji bring about the Taika Reforms: Making Japan’s government govern more like Tang China’s government. Kotoku Tenno (36th) built a palace in the new city of Niwa (Osaka) and moved his home there. Tenji, still in control of the government, went about instituting more governmental reforms. Tenji wanted to move the capital back to the Kyoto region, but Kotoku Tenno refused to cooperate and died in Osaka the next year from an “illness”(654).

Saimei 37 (Kogyoku again) - Characterized by her interest and involvement with restoring Baejke from Silla in Korea. She (Tenji Tenno?)organized a military campaign to go to the Korean peninsula but died before they set sail.

Tenji Tenno Begins to Reign

Having just set up the Taika Reforms, he continued his administrative legacy with the first proper legal code in the Islands (Omi Code). The Omi code would later be used to create the Kiyomihara Ritsu-ryo and foreshadowing the Taiho RitsuRyo.

He sent a military force against Silla looking to help revive the Kingdom of Baekje but was defeated by Tang and Silla.

39th Tenmu Tenno Reign 673 - 686 Life 630 – 686

Began political reforms to imitate the Tang government in China. He is the first Tenno to actually have the title Tenno.

The earliest records of the history of Japan and its prehistory began to be compiled during Tenmu’s reign.

This is the point where we start to learn about the disposition of the Yamato court. All information we have events prior to this point needs to be understood as being filtered through a Tenmu Tenno Lens.

43rd Genmei Tenno - Reign: 707 - 715 Life: 660 - 721

The Kojiki was completed during her reign

This is significant because this point in time solidified the content of the Kojiki and Nihongi.

MEDIEVAL TENNO

The Events that Brought about the Shogunate

81st Antoku Tenno - Reign: 1180 - 1185 Life: 1178 - 1185 (6 years)

Antoku Tenno (Taira Clan) was a political pawn of the Taira clan in the conflict between them and the Fujiwara/Minamoto clan. His father (Takakura Tenno) was instructed to abdicate by his grandfather (Go-Shirakawa - who was the real power in the Imperial House) and he (Antoku Tenno) was raised to emperor when he was 2 years old. Antoku Tenno was taken away during a conflict during which, the retired emperor Go-Shirakawa replaced him with his younger half-brother Go-Toba Tenno (Fujiwara clan).

GENPEI WAR: Taira vs Minamoto 1180 - 1185

1st Shogun: Minamoto no Yoritomo Reign: 1192 - 1199 Life: 1147 - 1999

The Emperor Antoku was killed during one of the final battles of this war. He was cast into the sea so as to not be taken prisoner. This conflict has its root in the Hogen Rebellion that took place in 1156. This was a major turning point in Japanese political power. Minamoto had to wait until the Retired Tenno Go-Shirakawa died before gaining full control of the government.

Minamoto no Toritomo - The first Shogun to rule Japan — **Minamoto no Yoritomo**

82nd Go-Toba Reign: 1183 - (1192) 1198 - Life: 1180 - 1239

When his half brother Antoku Tenno fled the Capital, Go-Toba Tenno was placed as the Emperor (3 years old). His grandfather Go-Shirakawa was the functional head of the Imperial house and continued to be so until his death in 1192 when power shifted to the Minamoto no Yoritomo -the first Shogun.

After his son and grandson had become Tenno, Go-Toba staged a coup to wrest power back to the Imperial House in 1221. The war failed, his grandson was removed from being Tenno, and Go-Toba was exiled to a small island off the coast of Shimane Prefecture. One of his nephews was then placed in the position of Tenno.

Northern and Southern Court Period

1336 - 1392

Go Daigo led a coup against the Shogunate and because of that the Ashikaga Shogunate established a different Tenno. Go Daigo was now Tenno of the southern Court and

96th Go Daigo Tenno 1336

He launched the Kenmu restoration. Go Daigo Tenno established imperial rule for 3 years. His rule was overturned by the Ashikaga Shogunate who backed another member of the imperial family to take up the post of Tenno and would endorse the Ashikaga shogunate’s government.

Shortly after this the Sengoku period begins

100th Go-Komatsu Tenno Reign: 1392 - 1412 Life: 1377 - 1433

Was the last Tenno of the Northern Court (the Imperial court had a schism) and the first Tenno of a unified court. The Tenno of today descendants of the Northern court although the Southern court is still recognized as being the legitimate Tenno during the Northern/Southern Court Period. Furthest related Tenno to the previous one (2nd cousin twice removed)

WARRING STATES PERIOD

102nd Go-Hanazono Tenno Reign: 1428 - 1464 Life: 1419 - 1471

He became Tenno after Shoko Tenno died and had no heirs. They were 3rd cousins. After this auxiliary family lines and houses were established of royal family members to ensure that there would always be a close family member to assume the throne.

He designated the Fushimi-no-miya house as the "Hereditary Imperial Prince" (永代宮家 )"hereditary imperial prince families" (Seshū Shinnōke (世襲親王家)), with three additional houses, Katsura-no-miya, Arisugawa-no-miya, and Kan'in-no-miya, later established to fortify this structure.

Katsura-no-miya - went extinct

Kan'in-no-miya - merged back into Fushimi

Arisugawa-no-miya - Abolished in 1913

1947 : American Occupation: 11 collateral branches of the Imperial Family were abolished

The Warring States Period begins during his reign.

117th monarch : Go- Sakuramachi 1740 – 24 December 1813 (reign 1762 1771)

Last Female Tenno of Japan -

Failed plot to overthrow the Shogunate. :/ oh well

MODERN TENNO

121st Komei (Osahito) (22 July 1831 – 30 January 1867 Life: 1846 - 1867

The Father of Emperor Meiji was Tenno when the Black Ships arrived from America. - Black ships , foreign trade and anti-bakufu sentiments

The Shogun died shortly after the American ships left and the new shogun was a small child. The acting government (Bakufu) sought the advice of the Emperor as to how to negotiate and proceed with dealings with the foreign nations. This set things in motion that would see his son assume legitimate power over the nation.