, posthumously honored as , also known as , was the 111th

emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

, according to the traditional

order of succession An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 116. Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1655 through 1663. This 17th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Junna and ''go-'' (後), translates as ''later'', and thus, he could have been called the "Later Emperor Junna". Emperor Go-Sai could not pass the throne onto his descendants. For this reason, he was known as the ''Go-Saiin'' emperor, after an alternate name of Emperor Junna, who had confronted and reached an accommodation with similar issues. This emperor was also called . The Japanese word ''go'' has also been translated to mean ''the second one'', and thus, this emperor might be identified as "Junna II". During the

Meiji era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feu ...

, the name became just Go-Sai.

Genealogy

Before Go-Sai's accession to the

Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions ...

, his personal name (''

imina in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name. Japanese names are usually written in kanji, where the pronunciation follows a special set of rules. Because parents when naming children, and foreigners when adoptin ...

'') was or Yoshihito; and his pre-accession title was or ''Momozono-no-miya''. He was the eighth son of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. He was raised as if he were the son of Tōfuku-mon'in; both former Empress Meishō and former Emperor Go-Kōmyō were his older half-siblings. Emperor Go-Sai's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi of the

Heian Palace The was the original imperial palace of (present-day Kyoto), then the capital of Japan. Both the palace and the city were constructed in the late 700s and were patterned on Ancient Chinese urban planning, Chinese models and designs. The palace ...

. This family included at least 16 sons and 17 daughters, none of whom would ascend to the throne. *Nyōgo: Princess Akiko (明子女王; 1638–1680) later Myokichijou’in (妙吉祥院), Imperial Prince Takamatsu-no-miya Yoshihito's daughter **First daughter: Imperial Princess Tomoko (1654–1686; 誠子内親王) **First son: Imperial Prince Hachijō-no-miya Osahito (1655–1675; 八条宮長仁親王) – fourth Hachijō-no-miya, Hachijō-no-miya Yasuhito's adopted son *Lady-in-waiting: Seikanji Tomoko (d.1695; 清閑寺共子), Seikanji Tomotsuna's daughter **Second son: Imperial Prince Arisugawa-no-miya Yukihito (1656–1695; 有栖川宮幸仁親王) – 3rd Arisugawa-no-miya **Second daughter: Second Princess (Onna-Ni-no-miya, 1657–1658; 女二宮) **Third daughter: Princess Sōei (1658–1721; 宗栄女王) **Fourth daughter: Princess Sonsyū (1661–1722; 尊秀女王) **Fourth son: Imperial Prince Priest Gien (1662–1706; 義延法親王) **Sixth daughter: Princess Enkōin (1663; 円光院宮) **Fifth son: Imperial Prince Priest Tenshin (1664–1690; 天真法親王) **Seventh daughter: Princess Kaya (1666–1675; 賀陽宮) **Tenth daughter: Imperial Princess Mashiko (1669–1738; 益子内親王) married Kujo Sukezane **Eleventh daughter: Princess Rihō (1672–1745; 理豊女王) **Thirteenth daughter: Princess Zuikō (1674–1706; 瑞光女王) *Consort: Iwakura Tomoki's Daughter **Third son: Imperial Prince Priest Eigo (1659–1676; 永悟法親王) *Consort: Ukyō-no-Tsubone (右京局), Tominokōji Yorinao's Daughter **Fifth daughter: Princess Tsune (1661–1665; 常宮) *Consort: Umenokōji Sadako (梅小路定子), Umenokōji Sadanori's adopted daughter and Kōgenji Tomohide's daughter **Eighth daughter: Princess Kaku (1667–1668; 香久宮) **Ninth daughter: Princess Syō'an (1668–1712; 聖安女王) **Sixth son: Imperial Prince Priest Kōben (1669–1716; 公弁法親王) **Seventh son: Imperial Prince Priest Dōyū (1670–1691; 道祐法親王) **Eighth son: Imperial Prince Hachijō-no-miya Naohito (1671–1689; 八条宮尚仁親王) – fifth Hachijō-no-miya **Twelfth daughter: Princess Mitsu (1672–1677; 満宮) **Fourteenth daughter: Princess Sonkō (1675–1719; 尊杲女王) **Fifteenth daughter: Princess Sonsyō (1676–1703; 尊勝女王) **Eleventh son: Imperial Prince Priest Ryō'ou (1678–1708; 良応法親王) **Sixteenth daughter: Ryougetsuin (1679; 涼月院) (there is still doubt about birth mother) *Consort: Azechi-no-tsubone (按察使局, Takatsuji Toyonaga's Daughter **Ninth son: Imperial Prince Priest Sondō (道尊法親王) (1676–1705; Buddhist Priest) *Consort: Matsuki Atsuko (松木条子), Matsuki Muneatsu's Daughter **Tenth son: Prince Roei’in (槿栄院宮; 1677) **Sixteenth son: Imperial prince Satohito, later Emperor Reigen

Events of Go-Sai's life

Nagahito-shinnō became emperor when his emperor-brother died. This death left the throne vacant and the succession (''senso'') was received by the new monarch. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Sai is considered to have acceded to the throne (''sokui'').Titsingh
p. 413.
A distinct act of ''senso'' is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except

Jitō were medieval territory stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Appointed by the shōgun, ''jitō'' managed manors, including national holdings governed by the '' kokushi'' or provincial governor. There were als ...

, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have ''senso'' and ''sokui'' in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami – ''see'' Varley, H. Paul. (1980).''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p. 44. The events during his lifetime shed light on his reign. The years of Go-Sai's reign correspond with a period in which Tokugawa Ietsuna was the leader at the pinnacle of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

. Go-Sai married the daughter of the first ; and he succeeded as second Takamatsu-no-miya. Then this Imperial prince became the emperor as a temporary measure until his younger brother, could grow older. * January 1, 1638: The birth of an Imperial prince who will become known by the posthumous name of Go-Sai''-tennō''.Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999)
''Japans Kaiserhof in der Edo-Zeit'', p. 186.
/ref> * January 5, 1655: The death of Go-Kōmyō caused the succession (''senso'') to be passed to his brother; and when the succession (''senso'') was received, the reign of Emperor Go-Sai was deemed to commence. * 1655 ('' Meireki 1''): The new ambassador of Korea, arrived in Japan. * March 2–3, 1657 (''Meireki 3, 18–19th days of the 1st month''): Great Fire of Meireki: The city of Edo was devastated by a violent fire. * 1659 ('' Manji 5''): In Edo, construction begins on the Ryōgoku Bridge (''ryōgokubashi''). * 1661 ('' Manji 6''): Imperial Palace in Kyoto is burnt to the ground; and the Gekū at Yamada was seriously damaged by fire. * March 20, 1662 (''

Kanbun ''Kanbun'' ( 'Han Chinese, Han writing') is a system for writing Literary Chinese used in Japan from the Nara period until the 20th century. Much of Japanese literature was written in this style and it was the general writing style for offici ...

2, 1st day of the 2nd month''): There was a violent earthquake in Kyoto which destroyed the tomb of the Taiko,

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

. * 1662 (''Kanbun 2''): Emperor Gosai ordered Tosa Hiromichi 土佐広通 (1561–1633), a Tosa-school disciple, to adopt the name Sumiyoshi (probably in reference to a 13th-century painter, Sumiyoshi Keinin 住吉慶忍), upon assuming a position as official painter for the Sumiyoshi Taisha 住吉大社). * March 5, 1663 (''

3, 26th day of the 1st month''): Emperor Go-Sai abdicated, which meant that the Prince Satohito received the succession (''senso''). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Reigen formally acceded to the throne (''sokui''). After abdicating, Go-sai put his heart into scholarship and he left behind many books, including the "Water and Sun Collection" (''Suinichishū'', 水日集). He was talented in '' waka''; and he had a profound understanding of the classics. During his reign, because of great fires at the Grand

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. Layout Th ...

, and the Imperial Palace, among others, the Great ''Meireki'' Fire, earthquakes in the region, and because of repeated floods, many people blamed the Emperor, saying he lacked moral virtue. * March 26, 1685 ('' Jōkyō 2, 22nd day of the 2nd month''): Former-Emperor Go-Sai died; and a great comet was observed crossing the night sky. Emperor Go-Sai is enshrined in the imperial mausoleum, '' Tsuki no wa no misasagi,'' at Sennyū-ji in

Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven Wards of Kyoto, wards in the Municipalities of Japan, city of Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. History It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto, Shimogyō-ku. During the years ...

. Also enshrined are Go-Sai's immediate predecessors, Emperor Go-Mizunoo, Empress Meishō and Go-Kōmyō. Go-Sai's immediate Imperial successors, including Reigen, Higashiyama, Nakamikado, Sakuramachi, Momozono, Go-Sakuramachi and Go-Momozono, are enshrined here as well. At the Kitano Shrine, a tablet over the ''Chu-mon'' entryway reads ''tenmangu'' in the calligraphy of Emperor Go-sai.Martin, John. (2002). ''Kyoto: A Cultural Guide to Japan's Ancient Imperial City,'' pp. 287–288.

Kugyō

is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

in pre- Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. 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-Sai's reign, this apex of the ''

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

'' included: * '' Kampaku'', Nijō Mitsuhira, 1653–1663 * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Sadaijin'' in the context of a cent ...

'' * ''

Udaijin was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 701. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Udaijin'' in the context of a central administrat ...

'' * '' Naidaijin'' * ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

Eras of Go-Sai-tennō's reign

The years of Go-Sai's reign are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of rule, a t ...

or ''

nengō The or , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being "", meaning "origin, basis"), followed b ...

''. * '' Jōō'' (1652–1655) * '' Meireki'' (1655–1658) * '' Manji'' (1658–1661) * ''

'' (1661–1673)

Ancestry

References

* Martin, John H. and Phyllis G. Martin. (2002)
''Kyoto: A Cultural Guide to Japan's Ancient Imperial City''.
Tokyo:

Tuttle Publishing Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions.

.
OCLC 243831939
* Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999)
''Japans Kaiserhof in der Edo-Zeit: unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Jahre 1846 bis 1867''.
Münster: LIT Verlag.
OCLC 42041594
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Ōdai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns''.
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842

External links

* National Museum of Japanese Histor

{{DEFAULTSORT:Go-Sai Emperors of Japan 1638 births 1685 deaths Emperor Go-Sai Emperor Go-Sai Emperor Go-Sai 17th-century Japanese monarchs Sons of Japanese emperors