, was a princess and an

empress of Japan The empress of Japan is the title given to the wife of the Emperor of Japan or a female ruler in her own right. The current empress consort is Empress Masako, who ascended the throne with her husband on 1 May 2019. Empress regnant Titles * ...

during the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

. She was the consort of her cousin

Emperor Reizei was the 63rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 冷泉天皇 (63)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Reizei's reign spanned the years from 967 through 969, ending with his abdication and retirement. ...

of Japan. She was the daughter of

Emperor Suzaku was the 61st emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 朱雀天皇 (61)/ref> according to the traditional List of emperors of Japan, order of succession. Suzaku's reign spanned the years from Heian period, 930 through 946. B ...

and Princess Hiroko.

Biography

She was born in 950 after the abdication of her father. She was made princess on the 8th lunar month, 10th the same year. Her mother died soon after her birth. Her father the former Emperor Suzaku died at the age of 30 in 952. Then she was raised by her paternal uncle

Emperor Murakami 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 rul ...

due to the early death of her parents. She was made Empress consort after her cousin Prince Norihira acceded to the throne as Emperor Reizei in 967. She had no children. After the abdication of Emperor Reizei, she was made Empress Dowager in the 7th lunar month, 973 and Grand Empress Dowager in the 7th lunar month, 986. She died from disease at the age of 50 on the 12th lunar month 1st, 999.

References

Japanese empresses consort Japanese Buddhists 10th-century Buddhist nuns 950 births 1000 deaths People from Kyoto Daughters of Japanese emperors {{Japan-royal-stub