Emperor Reizei

{{Short description|Emperor of Japan from 967 to 969}} {{Infobox royalty | name = Emperor Reizei<br>{{nobold|{{lang|ja|冷泉天皇}}}} | succession = Emperor of Japan | image = Emperor reizei.jpg | caption = | reign = July 5, 967 – September 27, 969 | coronation = November 15, 967 | cor-type = Japan | predecessor = Murakami | successor = En'yū | posthumous name = ''Tsuigō'':<br/>Emperor Reizei ({{lang|ja|冷泉院}} or {{lang|ja|冷泉天皇}}) | spouse = Masako | issue = {{plainlist| * Princess Sōshi * Princess Sonshi * Emperor Kazan * Princess Mitsuko * Emperor Sanjō * Prince Tametaka * {{ill|Prince Atsumichi|ja|敦道親王}}}} | royal house = Imperial House of Japan | father = Emperor Murakami | mother = Fujiwara no Anshi | birth_date = June 12, 949 | birth_place = Gojo-tei 五条邸 | death_date = {{death date and age|1011|11|21|949|6|12}} | death_place = {{ill|Higashi Sanjo Palace|ja|東三条殿}} (東三条第) | burial_place = ''Sakuramoto no misasagi'' (櫻本陵) (Kyoto) }}

{{nihongo|'''Emperor Reizei'''|冷泉天皇|Reizei-tennō|June 12, 949 – November 21, 1011}} was the 63rd emperor of Japan,<ref name="kunaicho">Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō''): [http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/ryobo/guide/063/index.html 冷泉天皇 (63)]</ref> according to the traditional order of succession.<ref>Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' p. 71.</ref>

Reizei's reign spanned the years from 967 through 969, ending with his abdication and retirement.<ref>Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran&pg=PP9 ''Annales des empereurs du japon,'' pp. 142–143]; Brown, Delmer ''et al.'' (1979). ''Gukanshō,'' pp. 298–300; Varely, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' pp. 190–191.</ref>

==Biography== Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Norihira''-shinnō'' (憲平親王).<ref>Titsingh, p. 142; Varely, p. 190; Brown, p. 264; prior to Emperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors (their ''imina'') were very long and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign.</ref>

Norihira''-shinnō'' was the second son of Emperor Murakami. His mother, Empress Yasuko, was a daughter of minister of the right Fujiwara no Morosuke.<ref>Varley, p. 190.</ref> Soon after his birth he was appointed as crown prince, displacing the Emperor's first-born son with the daughter of Fujiwara no Motokata. This decision was supposedly made under the influence of Morosuke and his brother Fujiwara no Saneyori who had seized power in the court. Motokata soon died, in despair at having lost the prospect of being grandfather to the next emperor. The malevolent influence of Motokata's {{nihongo|vengeful spirit|怨霊|onryō}} was blamed for Norihira''-shinnō'''s mental illness, which resulted in Saneyori acting as regent for the duration of his short reign.<ref>{{Cite thesis|title=Social crises and religious change in pre-medieval Japan|last=Usami|first=Hirokuni|year=2004 |degree=PhD|publisher=SOAS University of London|url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/29220/|doi=10.25501/SOAS.00029220|page=377}}</ref>

From ancient times, there have been four noble clans, the ''Gempeitōkitsu'' (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the Minamoto clan (源氏) are also known as Genji, and of these, the Reizei Genji (冷泉源氏) are descended from 63rd emperor Reizei.

==Events of Reizei's reign== Questions about mental illness made Norihira''-shinnō'''s succession somewhat problematic.

In 967 his father Murakami died and Reizei ascended to the throne at the age of eighteen.

* '''July 5, 967''' (''Kōhō 4, 25th day of the 5th month''): In the 16th year of Emperor Murakami's reign (村上天皇十六年), he died; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his second son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Reizei is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).<ref>Titsingh, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran&pg=PP9 p. 142]; Brown, p. 298; Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of ''senso'' is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have ''senso'' and ''sokui'' in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami.</ref> * '''969''' (''Anna 2''): Reizei abdicated; and he took the honorific title of Reizei-in Jōkō. His reign lasted for just two years; and he lived another 44 years in retirement.<ref name="b298">Brown, p. 298.</ref>

thumb|right|The tomb of Emperor Reizei, Kyoto (front view) * '''November 21, 1011''' (''Kankō 8, 24th day of the 10th month''): ''Daijō-tennō'' Reizei-in Jōkō died at age 62.<ref>Titsingh, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran&pg=PP9 p. 155]; Brown, p. 306; Varley, p. 190.</ref>

The actual site of Reizei's grave is known.<ref name="kunaicho"/> This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (''misasagi'') at Kyoto.

The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Reizei's mausoleum. It is formally named ''Sakuramoto no misasagi''<ref>Ponsonby-Fane, p. 420.</ref>

===Kugyō=== {{nihongo|''Kugyō''|公卿}} is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan 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 Go-Toba's reign, this apex of the ''Daijō-kan'' included: * ''Kampaku'', Ōno-no-miya Fujiwara no Saneyori (藤原実頼), 900–970.<ref name="b298"/> * ''Daijō-daijin'', Fujiwara Saneyori.<ref name="b298"/> * ''Sadaijin'', Minamoto no Takaakira (源高明) (relegated in 969 by Anna Incident) * ''Sadaijin'', Fujiwara Morotada (藤原師尹) * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara Morotada (藤原師尹), 920–969.<ref name="b298"/> * ''Naidaijin'' (not appointed) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Arihira (藤原在衡) * ''Dainagon'', Minamoto no Kaneakira (源兼明) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Koretada (藤原伊尹)

==Eras of Reizei's reign== The years of Reizei's reign are more specifically identified by more than one {{nihongo|Japanese era name|年号|nengō}}:<ref>Titsingh, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran&pg=PP9 p. 142.]</ref> * ''Kōhō'' (964–968) * ''Anna'' (968–970)

==Consorts and children== Empress (Chūgū): Imperial Princess Masako (昌子内親王) later Kanon'in taigō (観音院太后), Emperor Suzaku’s daughter * Adopted Son: Imperial Prince Nagahira (永平親王; 965–988)

Consort (Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Kaishi''/Chikako (藤原懐子, 945–975), Fujiwara no Koretada’s daughter *First Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Sōshi'' (宗子内親王; 964–986) *Second Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Sonshi'' (尊子内親王; 966–985), 15th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 968–975; later, married to Emperor En'yū in 980 *First Son: Imperial Prince Morosada (師貞親王) later Emperor Kazan

Consort (Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Chōshi''/Tōko (藤原超子; d.982), Fujiwara no Kaneie’s daughter *Third Daughter: Imperial Princess Mitsuko (光子内親王; 973–975) *Second Son: Imperial Prince Okisada (居貞親王) later Emperor Sanjō *Third son: Imperial Prince Tametaka (為尊親王; 977–1002) *Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Atsumichi (敦道親王; 981–1007)

Consort (Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Fushi''/Yoshiko (藤原怤子), Fujiwara no Morosuke’s daughter

==Ancestry== {{ahnentafel |collapsed=yes |align=center |boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; |boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; |boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; |boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; |ref=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reichsarchiv.jp/%e5%ae%b6%e7%b3%bb%e3%83%aa%e3%82%b9%e3%83%88/%e5%a4%a9%e7%9a%87%e5%ae%b6#emp063|title=Genealogy|website=Reichsarchiv|date=30 April 2010 |access-date=17 February 2018|language=ja}}</ref> |1= 1. '''Emperor Reizei''' |2= 2. Emperor Murakami (926-967) |3= 3. Fujiwara no Anshi (927-964) |4= 4. Emperor Daigo (885-930) |5= 5. Fujiwara no Onshi (885-954) |6= 6. Fujiwara no Morosuke (909-960) |7= 7. Fujiwara no Seishi (d. 943) |8= 8. Emperor Uda (867-931) |9= 9. Fujiwara no Inshi (d. 896) |10=10. Fujiwara no Mototsune (836-891) |11=11. Princess Sōshi |12=12. Fujiwara no Tadahira (880-949) |13=13. Minamoto no Shōshi |14=14. Fujiwara no Tsunekuni |15= }}

==Notes== [[File:Imperial Seal of Japan.svg|thumb|right|120px|Japanese Imperial kamon — a stylized chrysanthemum blossom]] {{reflist|2}}

==References== * Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). [https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&q=Gukansho ''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''] Berkeley: University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-03460-0}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/251325323 OCLC 251325323] * Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida. (1975). ''The Tale of the Heike''. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/262297615 OCLC 262297615] * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). [https://books.google.com/books?id=SLAeAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Imperial+House+of+Japan ''The Imperial House of Japan.''] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/194887 OCLC 194887] * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Nihon Odai Ichiran''; ou, [https://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&q=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''] Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5850691 OCLC 5850691] * Varley, H. Paul. (1980). [https://books.google.com/books?id=tVv6OAAACAAJ ''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''] New York: Columbia University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-231-04940-5}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/59145842 OCLC 59145842]

{{S-start}} {{s-reg}} {{succession box | before=Emperor Murakami | title=Emperor of Japan:<br>Reizei | after=Emperor En'yū | years=967–969}} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reizei}} Category:Emperors of Japan Category:940s births Category:1011 deaths Category:People of the Heian period Category:10th-century Japanese monarchs Category:11th-century Japanese people Category:Japanese emperors who abdicated Category:Sons of Japanese emperors