Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th

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 ...

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family, and the keeping of the Privy Seal of Japan, Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century ...

(''Kunaichō'')
後醍醐天皇 (96)
retrieved 2013-8-28. 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.overthrew 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 ...

in 1333 and established the short-lived

Kenmu Restoration The was a three-year period of Imperial rule in Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period from 1333 to 1336. The Kenmu Restoration was an effort made by Emperor Go-Daigo to overthrow the ruling Kamakura Shogunate ...

to bring the Imperial House back into power. This was to be the last time the emperor had real

power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

until the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

in 1868.Sansom 1977: 22–42. The Kenmu restoration was in turn overthrown by

Ashikaga Takauji also known as Minamoto no Takauji was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. ...

in 1336, ushering in the Ashikaga shogunate. The overthrow split the imperial family into two opposing factions between the Ashikaga backed

Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. Even though the present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the ...

situated in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

and the

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors ( Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitivel ...

based in Yoshino. The Southern Court was led by Go-Daigo and his later successors.

Biography

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 (''

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 Takaharu''-shinnō'' (尊治親王). He was the second son of the Daikakuji-tō emperor,

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1274 through 1287. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Uda and ''go-'' (後), translates litera ...

. His mother was Fujiwara no ''Chūshi''/Tadako (''藤原忠子''), daughter of Fujiwara no Tadatsugu (Itsutsuji Tadatsugu) (''藤原忠継/五辻忠継''). She became Nyoin called Dantenmon-in (談天門院). His older brother was

Emperor Go-Nijō was the 94th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from 1301 to his death in 1308. This 14th-century sovereign was named after the 12th-century Emperor Nijō, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as ...

. File:Emperor Go-Daigo.jpg, Emperor Go-Daigo portrait in

Tennō Sekkan Daijin Eizukan ''Tennō Sekkan Daijin Eizukan'' (天皇摂関大臣影図巻) is a Japanese ''emakimono'' in three scrolls. It is in the holdings of the Archives and Mausolea Department of the Imperial Household Agency. It is traditionally attributed to and . I ...

. Image:Emperor-Go-Daigo-by-Ogata-Gekko-1904.png, Woodblock print triptych by

Ogata Gekkō was a Japanese artist best known as a painter and a designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. He was self-taught in art, won numerous national and international prizes, and was one of the earliest Japanese artists to win an international audience. ...

; Emperor Go-Daigo dreams of

ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

s at his palace in Kasagiyama File:Godaigo tenno ryo.jpg, Memorial Shinto shrine and mausoleum honoring Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo's ideal was the

Engi Engi may refer to: * ENGI, a Japanese animation studio * Engi, Switzerland, a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland * Engi (era) was a after ''Shōtai'' and before ''Enchō.'' This period spanned the years from July 901 t ...

era An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

(901–923) during the reign of

Emperor Daigo was the 60th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 醍醐天皇 (60)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial. Gen ...

, a period of direct imperial rule. An emperor's posthumous name was normally chosen after his death, but Emperor Go-Daigo chose his personally during his lifetime, to share it with Emperor Daigo.

Events of Go-Daigo's life

* 1308 ('' Enkyō 1''): At the death of

, Hanazono accedes to the

at age 12 years; and Takaharu''-shinnō'', the second son of former-

is elevated as Crown Prince and heir apparent under the direction of the

. * 29 March 1318 (''

Bunpō was a after '' Shōwa'' and before '' Gen'ō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1317 to April 1319. The reigning Emperors were and . Change of era * 1317 (' ): The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. Th ...

2, 26th day of 2nd month''): In the 11th year of Hanazono's reign (花園天皇十一年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by his cousin, the second son of former-Emperor Go-Uda. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Daigo is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). * 1319 (''Bunpō 3, 4th month''): Emperor Go-Daigo caused the ''

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 ...

'' to be changed to ''

Gen'ō was a after '' Bunpō'' and before '' Genkō''. This period spanned the period from April 1319 through February 1321. The reigning Emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du Japon'', pp. 278–281; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ...

'' to mark the beginning of his reign. In 1324, with the discovery of Emperor Go-Daigo's plans to overthrow the

, the

Rokuhara Tandai was the post of the chiefs of the Kamakura shogunate in imperial capital Kyoto whose agency, the , kept responsibility for security in Kinai and judicial affairs on western Japan, and negotiated with the Imperial Court in Kyoto, imperial court. ...

disposed of his close associate Hino Suketomo in the . In the Genkō Incident of 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo's plans were again discovered, this time by a betrayal by his close associate Yoshida Sadafusa. He quickly hid the

Sacred Treasures The are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword , the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary virtues: valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).

in a secluded castle in Kasagiyama (the modern town of Kasagi, Sōraku District,

Kyōto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture to the east, Mie Pref ...

) and raised an army, but the castle fell to the

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

's army the following year, and they enthroned

Emperor Kōgon was the first of the Emperors of Northern Court during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. His reign spanned the years from 1331 through 1333. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Nanboku-chō throne, his personal name ...

, exiling Daigo to

Oki Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan consisted of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan, located off the coast of the provinces of Izumo Province, Izumo and Hōki Province, Hōki. The area is now Oki District, Shimane, Oki District in moder ...

(the

Oki Islands The is an archipelago in the Sea of Japan, the islands of which are administratively part of Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The islands have a total area of . Only four of the around 180 islands are permanently inhabited. Much of the ...

in modern-day

Shimane Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...

), the same place to which

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"; ...

had been exiled after the

Jōkyū War , also known as the Jōkyū Disturbance or the Jōkyū Rebellion, was fought in Japan between the forces of Retired Emperor Go-Toba and those of the Hōjō clan, regents of the Kamakura shogunate, whom the retired emperor was trying to overthro ...

of 1221. In 1333, Emperor Go-Daigo escaped from Oki with the help of

Nawa Nagatoshi Nawa Nagatoshi (名和長年) (died August 7, 1336) was a Kamakura Period military figure who defended the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period. Nawa was appointed Governor of Hoki Province as a reward for his support of Go-Daigo during ...

and his family, raising an army at Senjo Mountain in

Hōki Province was a former province in the area that is today the western half of Tottori Prefecture in the San'in region of Japan. Hōki was bordered by Inaba, Mimasaka, Izumo, Bitchū, and Bingo Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of ...

(the modern town of Kotoura in Tōhaku District,

Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...

, who had been sent by the

to find and destroy this army, sided with the emperor and captured the

. Immediately following this,

Nitta Yoshisada also known as Minamoto no Yoshisada was a samurai lord of the Nanboku-chō period Japan. He was the head of the Nitta clan in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period. He famo ...

, who had raised an army in the east, laid siege to Kamakura. When the city finally fell to Nitta,

Hōjō Takatoki was the last '' Tokusō'' and ruling Shikken (regent) of Japan's Kamakura shogunate; the rulers that followed were his puppets. A member of the Hōjō clan, he was the son of Hōjō Sadatoki, and was preceded as ''shikken'' by Hōjō Mototo ...

, the shogunal regent, fled to Tōshō temple, where he and his entire family committed suicide. This ended Hōjō power and paved the way for a new

military regime A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a strongman, or by a council of mi ...

. Upon his triumphal return to Kyoto, Daigo took the throne from Emperor Kōgon and began the

. The Restoration was ostensibly a revival of the older ways, but, in fact, the emperor had his eye set on an imperial dictatorship like that of the

emperor of China Throughout Chinese history, "Emperor" () was the superlative title held by the monarchs of imperial China's various dynasties. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven", an autocrat with the divine mandat ...

. He wanted to imitate the Chinese in all their ways and become the most powerful ruler in the East. Impatient reforms, litigation over land rights, rewards, and the exclusion of the samurai from the political order caused much complaining, and his political order began to fall apart. In 1335,

, who had travelled to eastern Japan without obtaining an imperial edict in order to suppress the Nakasendai Rebellion, became disaffected. Daigo ordered Nitta Yoshisada to track down and destroy Ashikaga. Ashikaga defeated Nitta Yoshisada at the Battle of Takenoshita, Hakone.

Kusunoki Masashige , or , was a Japanese military commander and samurai of the Kamakura period remembered as the ideal loyal samurai. Kusunoki fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore power in Japan to the ...

and

Kitabatake Akiie was a Japanese court noble, and an important supporter of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō Wars. He also held the posts of Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North, and Governor of Mutsu Province. His father was Imperial ad ...

, in communication with Kyoto, smashed the Ashikaga army. Takauji fled to

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...

, but the following year, after reassembling his army, he again approached Kyōto. Kusunoki Masashige proposed a reconciliation with Takauji to the emperor, but Go-Daigo rejected this. He ordered Masashige and Yoshisada to destroy Takauji. Kusunoki's army was defeated at the

Battle of Minatogawa The Battle of Minatogawa (), also known as the Battle of Minato River, was part of the Nanboku-chō Wars fought near the Minato River in Settsu Province (present day Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture) on 5 July 1336. The Imperial forces loyal to Empe ...

. When Ashikaga's army entered Kyōto, Emperor Go-Daigo resisted, fleeing to

Mount Hiei is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, Japan. The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tendai (Chin. Tiantai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by ...

, but seeking reconciliation, he sent the

imperial regalia The Imperial Regalia, also called Imperial Insignia (in German ''Reichskleinodien'', ''Reichsinsignien'' or ''Reichsschatz''), are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, C ...

to the Ashikaga side. Takauji enthroned the Jimyōin-tō emperor, Kōmyō, and officially began his shogunate with the enactment of the Kenmu Law Code. Go-Daigo escaped from the capital in January 1337, the regalia that he had handed over to the Ashikaga being counterfeit, and set up the

among the mountains of Yoshino, beginning the Period of Northern and Southern Courts in which the Northern Dynasty in

and the Southern Dynasty in Yoshino faced off against each other. Emperor Go-Daigo ordered Imperial Prince Kaneyoshi to Kyūshū and Nitta Yoshisada and Imperial Prince Tsuneyoshi to Hokuriku, and so forth, dispatching his sons all over, so that they could oppose the Northern Court. * 18 September 1339 (''

Ryakuō was a Japanese era of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts, after Kenmu and before Kōei, lasting from August 1338 to April 1342. The emperor in Kyoto was . Go-Kōgon's Southern Court rival in Yoshino during th ...

2, 15th day of the 8th month''): In the 21st year of Go-Daigo's reign, the emperor abdicated at Yoshino in favor of his son, Noriyoshi''-shinnō,'' who would become

Emperor Go-Murakami (1328 – March 29, 1368) was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339, until March 29, 13 ...

. * 19 September 1339 (''

2, 16th day of the 8th month''): Go-Daigo died; The actual site of Go-Daigo's

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

is settled. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

(''misasagi'') at Nara. The

designates this location as Go-Daigo's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

. It is formally named ''Tō-no-o no misasagi''.

Genealogy

Consorts and children

Empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

(''Chūgū''): Saionji '' Kishi'' (''西園寺禧子'') later Empress Dowager Go-Kyōgoku-in (後京極院), Saionji Sanekane's daughter ** Princess (b. 1314) ** Second Daughter: Imperial Princess Kanshi (懽子内親王, 1315–1362) later Empress Dowager Senseimon-in (宣政門院),

Saiō or was the title of the unmarried female members of the Imperial House of Japan, Japanese Imperial Family, sent to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century to the 14th century. The 's residence, , was about north-west of the shrine ...

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 ...

; later, married to

(''Chūgū''): Imperial Princess

Junshi refers to the medieval Japanese act of vassals committing suicide for the death of their lord. Background The practice is described by Chinese chronicles, describing the inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago, going as far back as the thi ...

(珣子内親王) later Empress Dowager Shin-Muromachi-in (新室町院),

Emperor Go-Fushimi was the 93rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1298 to 1301. This 13th-century sovereign was named after his father, Emperor Fushimi and ''go-'' (後), translates literally a ...

's daughter ** Imperial Princess Sachiko (幸子内親王, b. 1335) *'' Nyōgo'': Fujiwara no Eishi (藤原栄子) also Anfuku-dono (安福殿),

Nijō Michihira was a Japanese ''kugyō'' (court noble) of the late Kamakura period. He was the son of regent Nijō Kanemoto. Michihira held the position of '' kampaku'' (chief advisor to the emperor) from 1316–1318 and from 1327–1330. He married a ...

's daughter *Court lady: Fujiwara no Chikako (藤原親子) also Chūnagon-tenji (中納言典侍), Itsutsuji Munechika's daughter ** Eleventh Son: Imperial Prince Mitsuyoshi (満良親王) *Lady-in-waiting: Dainagon'nosuke, Kitabatake Moroshige's daughter *Lady-in-waiting: Shin-Ansatsu-tenji (新按察典侍), Jimyoin Yasufuji's daughter *Lady-in-waiting: Sochi-no-suke (帥典侍讃岐) *Court lady: Koto no Naishi (勾当内侍), Saionji Tsunafusa's daughter ** Princess *Court lady: Shōshō no Naishi (少将内侍), Sugawara no Arinaka's daughter **Imperial Prince Seijo (聖助法親王) – Head Priest of Onjō-ji *Court lady: Fujiwara (Ano) no ''Renshi'' (藤原廉子/阿野廉子) later Empress Dowager Shin-Taikenmon-in (新待賢門院, 1301–1359), Ano Kinkado's daughter ** Imperial Prince Tsunenaga (also Tsuneyoshi) (恒良親王) ** Imperial Prince Nariyoshi (also Narinaga) (成良親王) ** Imperial Prince Noriyoshi (義良親王) later become

** Imperial Princess ''Shoshi'' (祥子内親王) –

1333–1336; later, nun in Hōan-ji ** Imperial Princess ''Ishi'' (惟子内親王) – nun in Imabayashi ** Speculated - Imperial Princess Noriko (憲子内親王) later Empress Dowager Shinsenyō-mon-in (新宣陽門院) *Court lady:

Minamoto no Chikako was the daughter of Kitabatake Morochika, and Imperial consort to Emperor Go-Daigo. She had earlier been Imperial consort to Go-Daigo's father, Emperor Go-Uda. She was the mother of Prince Morinaga (1308 – August 12, 1335) was a Japanese p ...

(源親子), Kitabatake Morochika's daughter ** Imperial Prince Moriyoshi (or Morinaga) (護良親王) – Head Priest of

Enryakuji is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was first founded in 788 during the early Heian period (794–1185) by Saichō (767–822), also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana B ...

(Tendai-zasu, 天台座主) (Buddhist name: Prince Son'un, 尊雲法親王) ** Imperial Prince Kōshō (恒性, 1305–1333) – priest ** Imperial Princess ''Hishi'' (妣子内親王) – nun in Imabayashi ** princess – married to

Konoe Mototsugu , son of Tsunehira, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa ...

(divorced later) ** Imperial Prince Sonsho (尊性法親王) *Court lady: Fujiwara no ''Ishi''/Tameko (藤原為子, d. ), Nijō Tameyo's daughter ** Imperial

Prince Takanaga was the second son of Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan. His mother was the poet Tameko. He fought for his father in the Nanboku-chō Wars. Since the characters used to write "Takanaga" can also be read as "Takayoshi", the prince is sometimes known by ...

(also Takayoshi) (尊良親王) ** Imperial Prince Munenaga (also Muneyoshi) (宗良親王) – Head Priest of

(Tendai-zasu, 天台座主) (Buddhist name: Prince Sonchō, 尊澄法親王) ** Imperial Princess Tamako (瓊子内親王, 1316–1339) – nun ** Princess *'' Nyōgo'': Fujiwara no Jisshi (実子). Tōin Saneo's daughter ** Princess *Court lady: Fujiwara no ''Shushi''/Moriko (藤原守子, 1303–1357), daughter of Tōin Saneyasu (洞院実泰) ** Imperial Prince Gen'en (玄円法親王, d.1348) – Head Priest of

Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. It is part of Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a World Heritage Site. H ...

** Imperial Prince Saikei (最恵法親王) – priest in Myōhō-in *Princess: Imperial Princess Kenshi (憙子内親王, 1270–1324) later Empress Dowager Shōkeimon'in (昭慶門院),

Emperor Kameyama was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1260 through 1274. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was . He was ...

's daughter ** Mumon Gensen (無文元選, 1323–1390) – founder of

Hōkō-ji (Shizuoka) is a Buddhist temple near Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture that dates from the 14th century.http://www.houkouji.or.jp/ Mumon Gensen (son of Emperor Go-Daigo) founded the temple in 1371. Since 1903, Hōkō-ji has been the main temple of the Hōk ...

*Court lady: Fujiwara (Nijo) Fujiko/''Toshi'' (二条藤子) also ''Gon-no-Dainagon no Sammi no Tsubone'' (権大納言三位局, d. 1351) later Reisho-in (霊照院), Nijō Tamemichi's daughter ** Imperial Prince Hōnin (法仁法親王, 1325–1352) – priest in

Ninna-ji is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was first founded in AD 888 by Emperor Uda, and was later reconstructed in the 17th century. It is part of the Historic Monuments of ...

Prince Kaneyoshi Prince Kaneyoshi (懐良親王, ''Kaneyoshi shinnō'' or ''Kanenaga shinnō''; born c. 1329 – 30 April 1383) was a nobleman of the Kamakura period and the early Nanboku-chō period where power in Japan was split between two rival factions. He w ...

(also Kanenaga) (懐良親王, 1326–1383) – Seisei Taishōgun (征西大将軍) 1336–? ** princess *Court lady: ''Ichijō no Tsubone'' (一条局) later Yūgimon'in (遊義門院), Saionji Sanetoshi's daughter ** Imperial Prince Tokiyoshi (also Yoyoshi) (世良親王) ( – 1330) ** Imperial Prince Jōson (静尊法親王) (Imperial Prince Keison, 恵尊法親王) – priest in Shōgoin (聖護院) ** Imperial Princess ''Kinshi'' (欣子内親王) – nun in Imabayashi *Court lady: ''Shōnagon no Naishi'' (少納言内侍), Shijō Takasuke's daughter ** Sonshin (尊真) – priest *'' Nyōgo'': Dainagon-no-tsubone (大納言局), Ogimachi Saneakira's daughter ** Imperial Princess Naoko (瑜子内親王) *'' Nyōgo'': Saemon-no-kami-no-tsubone (左衛門督局), Nijō Tametada's daughter ** Nun in Imabayashi *Court lady: ''Gon-no-Chūnagon no Tsubone'' (権中納言局), Sanjō Kinyasu's daughter ** Imperial Princess Sadako (貞子内親王) *'' Nyōgo'': Yoshida Sadafusa's daughter *'' Nyōgo'': Bōmon-no-tsubone (坊門局), Bomon Kiyotada's daughter ** Princess (Yōdō?) *'' Nyōgo'': Horikawa Mototomo's daughter ** Princess *'' Nyōgo'': Minamoto-no-Yasuko (源康子) also Asukai-no-tsubone (飛鳥井局) later Enseimon'in Harima (延政門院播磨), Minamoto-no-Yasutoki's daughter *'' Nyōgo'': Wakamizu-no-tsubone (若水局), Minamoto-no-Yasutoki's daughter *'' Nyōgo'': Horiguchi Sadayoshi's daughter ** daughter married Yoshimizu Munemasa *Court lady: ''Konoe no Tsubone'' (近衛局) later Shōkunmon'in (昭訓門院) ** Prince Tomoyoshi (知良王) *(unknown women) ** Yōdō (d. 1398) – 5th Head Nun of

Tōkei-ji , also known as or , is a Buddhist temple and a former nunnery, the only survivor of a network of five nunneries called , in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the Rinzai school of Zen's Engaku-ji branch, and was o ...

** Rokujō Arifusa's wife ** Ryusen Ryosai (竜泉令淬, d.1366) ** Kenkō (賢光) Go-Daigo had some other princesses from some court ladies.

Kugyō

Kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank un ...

'' (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 Meiji, the romanization of the Japanese characters 明治, may refer to: Japanese history * Emperor Meiji, Emperor of Japan between 1867 and 1912 ** Meiji era, the name given to that period in Japanese history *** Meiji Restoration, the revolution ...

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-Daigo'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'',

, 1316–1318 * ''Kampaku'',

Ichijō Uchitsune , son of Uchisane, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa ...

, 1318–1323 * ''Kampaku'',

Kujō Fusazane , son of regent Tadanori with Fujiwara Aritoki's daughter and adopted son of Moronori, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kam ...

, 1323–1324 * ''Kampaku'',

Takatsukasa Fuyuhira , son of Kanetada and adopted son of Mototada, was '' kugyo'' or highest-ranking Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially ...

, 1324–1327 * ''Kampaku'', Nijō Michihira, 1327–1330 * ''Kampaku'', Konoe Tsunetada, 1330 * ''Kampaku'', Takatsukasa Fuyunori, 1330–1333 * ''

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 The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Ta ...

'' * ''

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-Daigo's reign

The years of Go-Daigo'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 ''

''. Emperor Go-Daigo's eight era name changes are mirrored in number only in the reign of

Emperor Go-Hanazono (July 10, 1419 – January 18, 1471) was the 102nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後花園天皇 (102) retrieved 2013-8-28. His reign spanned the years from 1428 thro ...

, who also reigned through eight era name changes.Titsingh, Imperial Seal of Japan

:Pre''-Nanboku-chō'' court * ''

'' (1317–1319) * ''

'' (1319–1321) * '' Genkō'' (1321–1324) * ''

Shōchū is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as chestnut, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots. Typ ...

'' (1324–1326) * ''

Karyaku , also romanized as Kareki, was a after ''Shōchū'' and before '' Gentoku.'' This period spanned the years from April 1326 through August 1329. The reigning Emperor was . Change of era * 1326 : The new era name was created to mark an event or ...

'' (1326–1329) * '' Gentoku'' (1329–1331) * '' Genkō'' (1331–1334) * ''

Kenmu was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after '' Shōkei'' and before '' Ryakuō.'' Although Kemmu is understood by the Southern Court as having begun at the same time, the era was construe ...

'' (1334–1336) :''Nanboku-chō'' southern court * Eras as reckoned by legitimate sovereign's Court (as determined by Meiji rescript) ** ''

Engen Engen (延元) was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kenmu and before Kōkoku, lasting from February 1336 to April 1340.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Engen''" i ''Japan encyclop ...

'' (1336–1340) :''Nanboku-chō'' northern Court * Eras as reckoned by pretender sovereign's Court (as determined by Meiji rescript) ** '' Shōkei'' (1332–1338) ** ''

'' (1338–1342)

In popular culture

Emperor Go-Daigo appears in the

alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...

novel ''

Romanitas ''Romanitas'' is the collection of political and cultural concepts and practices by which the Romans defined themselves. It is a Latin word, first coined in the third century AD, meaning "Roman-ness" and has been used by modern historians as sho ...

'' by

Sophia McDougall Sophia McDougall is a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Life and career McDougall is best known internationally as the author of alternate history novels published by Orion Publishing Group and based on the premise that the Roman Empire ...

Notes

References

* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Ōdai Ichiran , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the ''American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...

''; 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

* Kansai Digital Archives

{{DEFAULTSORT:Go-Daigo Emperors of Japan 1288 births 1339 deaths

Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order o ...

13th-century Japanese people 14th-century Japanese monarchs Sons of Japanese emperors

Biography

Events of Go-Daigo's life

Genealogy

Consorts and children

Kugyō

Eras of Go-Daigo's reign

In popular culture

See also

Notes

References

External links