(22 March 1212 – 31 August 1234) was the 86th

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. His reign spanned the years from 1221 through 1232. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 11th-century

Emperor Horikawa was the 73rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 堀河天皇 (73)/ref> according to the traditional List of emperors of Japan, order of succession. Horikawa's reign spanned the years from Heian period, 1087 through 1107 ...

and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Horikawa". The Japanese word ''go'' has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Horikawa, the second," or as "Horikawa II."

Genealogy

Before his ascension 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 (his ''imina'') was , also known as Motsihito''-shinnō''.Titsingh, p. 238. The third son of Imperial Prince Morisada (守貞親王) (Go-Takakura-in, 後高倉院), the second son of Emperor Takakura. *Empress (''Jingū''): Sanjō (Fujiwara) Ariuko (三条（藤原）有子) later Ankimon’in (安喜門院), Sanjo Kinfusa's daughter *Empress (''Chūgū''): Konoe (Fujiwara) Nagako (近衛（藤原）長子) Later Takatsukasa’in (鷹司院), Konoe Iezane’s daughter. *Empress (''Chūgū''): Kujō (Fujiwara) Shunshi (九条（藤原）竴子) Later Sōhekimon’in (藻璧門院), Kujo Michiie’s daughter **First son: Imperial Prince Mitsuhito (秀仁親王) later

Emperor Shijō (17 March 1231 – 10 February 1242) was the 87th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1232 through 1242. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name ...

**Fourth daughter: Imperial Princess Hoshi (暤子内親王; 1232-1237) **Second Son: (1233) *Lady-in-waiting: Betto-Naishi (別当典侍), Jimyōin Ieyuki’s daughter **First daughter: Imperial Princess Kishi (暉子内親王; 1228-1300) later Muromachi-in (室町院) **Second daughter: Imperial Princess Taishi (体子内親王; 1231-1302) later Shinsenmon’in (神仙門院) *Lady-in-waiting: Dainagon-no-Tsubone (大納言局), Fujiwara Kaneyoshi’s daughter **Third daughter: Imperial Princess Akiko (昱子内親王; 1231-1246)

Events of Go-Horikawa's life

In 1221, because of the Jōkyū Incident, an unsuccessful attempt by

Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; ...

to seize real power, the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yori ...

completely excluded those of the imperial family descended from

from 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 ...

, thus forcing Emperor Chūkyō to abdicate. After the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yori ...

, he, as the grandson of the late Emperor Takakura, who was also a nephew of the then-exiled Retired Emperor Go-Toba, and Chūkyō's first cousin, was enthroned as Go-Horikawa. He ruled from July 29, 1221 to October 26 (?), 1232. * 29 July 1221 (''

Jōkyū , also called Shōkyū, was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) after ''Kempo (era), Kempō'' and before ''Jōō (Kamakura period), Jōō.'' This period spanned the years from April 1219 through April 1222.Nussbaum, Louis-Fr ...

3, 9th day of the 7th month''): In the 1st year of what is now considered to have been Chūkyō''-tennō''s reign (仲恭天皇一年), he abruptly abdicated without designating an heir; and contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by a grandson of former Emperor Go-Toba. * 14 January 1222 (''

3, 1st day of the 12th month''): Emperor Go-Horikawa acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). As Go-Horikawa was only ten-years-old at this time, his father Imperial Prince Morisada acted as cloistered emperor under the name Go-Takakura-in. In 1232, he began his own cloistered rule, abdicating to his 1-year-old son,

. However, he had a weak constitution, and his cloistered rule lasted just under two years before he died. Emperor Go-Horikawa's Imperial tomb (''misasagi'') is at Sennyū-ji in the .Sennyū-ji
images of front of Imperial mausoleum enclosure
/ref>

''Kugyō''

''Kugyō'' (公卿) 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. 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-Horikawa'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: * '' Sesshō'', Konoe Iezane, d. 1242.Brown, p. 345. * ''

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 ...

'', Konoe Iemichi, 1204–1224. * ''

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 ...

'', Fujiwara Kintsugu, 1117–1227. * '' Naidaijin'', Saionji Kintsune, 1171–1224. * ''

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-Horikawa's reign

The years of Go-Horikawa'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 ...

''. *

(1219–1222 CE) * Jōō (1222–1224 CE) * Gennin (1224–1225 CE) *

Karoku was a after ''Gennin'' and before ''Antei.'' This period spanned the years from April 1225 to December 1227. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du Japon'', pp. 238-240 Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Sh ...

(1225–1227 CE) * Antei (1227–1229 CE) * Kangi (1229–1232 CE)

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Jien, c. 1220">Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220 ''Gukanshō">Jien">Jien<_a>,_c._1220.html" ;"title="Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220">Jien.html" ;"title="Jien">Jien, c. 1220 ''Gukanshō''
''The Future and the Past, a translation and study of the Gukanshō, an interpretative history of Japan written in 1219''
. Berkeley: University of California Press. * Richard Ponsonby-Fane, Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/ iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran">Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society">Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359">Kitabatake_Chikafusa.html" ;"title="Kitabatake Chikafusa">Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359 ''Jinnō Shōtōki'' (
A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki
'' New York:

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...