was the 75th

emperor 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 ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

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'')
崇徳天皇 (75)
/ref> 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.1123 through 1142.

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 Akihito (顕仁). Sutoku was the eldest son of

Emperor Toba was the 74th Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 鳥羽天皇 (74)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Ch ...

. Some old texts say he was instead the son of Toba's grandfather,

Emperor Shirakawa was the 72nd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 白河天皇 (72)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Shirakawa's reign lasted from 1073 to 1087. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum T ...

. *Chūgū: Fujiwara no Kiyoko (藤原聖子) later Kōkamon'in (皇嘉門院), Fujiwara no Tadamichi's daughter * Hyounosuke-no-Tsubone (兵衛佐局), Minamoto no Masamune's adopted daughter ** First son: Imperial (1140–1162). * Mikawa-dono (三河), Minamoto no Morotsune's daughter ** Fifth Son: Kakue (覚恵; 1151–1184) * Karasuma-no-Tsubone (烏丸局)

Events of Sutoku's life

* February 25, 1123 (''

Hōan was a after '' Gen'ei'' and before '' Tenji.'' This period spanned the years from April 1120 through April 1124. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 1, 1120 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of e ...

4, 28th day of the 1st month''): In the 16th year of Emperor Toba's reign (鳥羽天皇二十五年), he abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his son, aged 3. * ''Hōan 4'', in the 2nd month (1123): Emperor Sutoku is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). * 1124 (''

Tenji The word Tenji can refer to several things in Japanese, including: * Tenji (点字) is a system of Japanese Braille. * Emperor Tenji (天智天皇 ''Tenji Tennō'') is the name of an emperor of Japan. * Tenji (天治) was a Japanese era after H� ...

1, 2nd month''): Former-Emperor Shirakawa and former-Emperor Toba went in carriages to outside the city where they could all together enjoy contemplating the flowers. Taiken-mon'in (? – August 26, 1145) (formerly Fujiwara no Shōshi), who was Toba's empress and Sutoku's mother, joined the procession along with many other women of the court. Their cortege was brilliant and colorful. A great many men of the court in hunting clothes followed the ladies in this parade. Fujiwara no Tadamichi then followed in a carriage, accompanied by bands of musicians and women who were to sing for the emperors. * 1124 (''Tenji 1, 10th month''): Shirakawa visited

Mount Kōya is a large temple settlement in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan to the south of Osaka. In the strictest sense, ''Mount Kōya'' is the mountain name ( sangō) of Kongōbu-ji Temple, the ecclesiastical headquarters of the Kōyasan sect of Shingon Bu ...

.Titsingh
p. 182.
/ref> * 1125 (''Tenji 2, 10th month''): The emperor visited Iwashimizu Shrine and the Kamo Shrines; and afterwards, he also visited the shrines Hirano, Ōharano, Mutsunoo, Kitano,

Gion is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...

and several others. * 1128 ('' Daiji 3, 3rd month''): Taiken-mon'in ordered the construction of Enshō-ji in fulfillment of a sacred vow.Titsigh
p. 185.
/ref> This was one in a series of "sacred vow temples" (''gogan-ji'') built by imperial command following a precedent established by Emperor Shirakawa's

Hosshō-ji was a Buddhist temple in northeastern Kyoto, Japan, endowed by Emperor Shirakawa in fulfillment of a sacred vow. The temple complex was located east of the Kamo River in the Shirakawa district; and its chief architectural feature was a nine-s ...

. * 1128 (''Daiji 3, 6th month''): Fujiwara no Tadamichi is relieved of his responsibilities and duties as ''sesshō'' (regent); and simultaneously, Tadamichi is named ''kampaku.'' * August 17, 1135 (''

Hōen was a after '' Chōshō'' and before '' Eiji.'' This period spanned the years from September 1135 through July 1141. The reigning emperor was . Change of Era * February 15, 1035 : The new era name ''Hōen'' was created to mark an event or a ...

1, 7th day of the 7th month''): Former-Emperor Shirakawa died at the age of 77. * 1141 ('' Eiji 1, 3rd month''): The former emperor Toba accepted the tonsure in becoming a monk at the age of 39. In 1151, Sutoku ordered Waka

imperial anthology Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Im ...

Shika Wakashū , abbreviated as ''Shikashū'', is an imperial anthology of Japanese waka, compiled –1154 CE at the behest of the Emperor Sutoku who ordered it in 1144. It was compiled by Fujiwara no Akisuke (1090–1155; a member of the Rokujō). ...

''. In 1156, after being defeated by forces loyal to Emperor

Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from Heian period, 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years thro ...

in the

Hōgen Rebellion The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regents during the Heian p ...

, he was

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

d to

Sanuki Province was a province of Japan in the area of northeastern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Sanuki''" in . Sanuki bordered on Awa to the south, and Iyo to the west. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō system, ...

(modern-day

Kagawa prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Pr ...

on the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

). Emperor Sutoku's reign lasted for 19 years: 2 years in the ''nengō'' ''Tenji'', 5 years in ''Daiji'', 1 year in Tenshō'', 3 years in ''Chōshō'', 6 years in Hōen, and 1 year in ''Eiji''. Sutokutenno Shiraminegoryo 01

The site of Sutoku'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'') in

Sakaide, Kagawa file:Sakaide City Hall 2021-08 ac (1).jpg, 270px, Sakaide City Hall file:Sakaide city center area Aerial photograph.2007.jpg, 270px, Aerial view of Sakaide city center is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had ...

. He was also enshrined (or sealed away ...) in Shiramine Shrine 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

Kotohira-gū (also known as , , or Konpira Shrine in English) is a Shinto shrine in the town of Kotohira, Kagawa, Kotohira in Kagawa Prefecture, Kagawa, Japan. This shrine is patron of sea ship transport and sailors. It is a Kotohira Shrines, Kotohira Shrin ...

in Kagawa Prefecture. The former is also associated with the god of football, worshipped by Kuge clan Asukai in times of yore, while the latter enshrined Ō-mono-nushi-no-mikoto, a god known to have restored harmony in Yamato (or blackmailed

Emperor Sujin , also known as in the , and or in the was the tenth Emperor of Japan. While Sujin is the first emperor whose existence historians widely accept, he is still referred to as a "legendary emperor" due to a lack of information available and beca ...

...) in exchange for worship and nepotism. The

designates this location as Sutoku'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 ''Shiramine no misasagi''.

''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 Sutoku'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'', Fujiwara no Tadamichi, 1097–1164.Brown, p. 323. * ''

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. It was equivalent to the Chinese , or Grand Preceptor. History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, was the first to have been acco ...

'', Fujiwara no Tadamichi. * ''

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 ...

'' * ''

Nadaijin 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 ...

'', Fujiwara no Yorinaga, 1120–1156. * ''

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 Sutoku's reign

The years of Sutoku'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 ...

''. * ''

'' (1120–1124) * ''

'' (1124–1126) * '' Daiji'' (1126–1131) * '' Tenshō'' (1131–1132) * '' Chōshō'' (1132–1135) * ''

'' (1135–1141) * '' Eiji'' (1141–1142)

Legends

After Sutoku's abdication and exile, he devoted himself to monastic life. He copied numerous scriptures and offered them to the court. Fearing that the scriptures were cursed, the court refused to accept them. Snubbed, Sutoku was said to have resented the court and, upon his death, became an . Everything from the subsequent fall in fortune of the Imperial court, the rise of the samurai powers, droughts and internal unrests were blamed on his haunting. Along with

Sugawara no Michizane , or , was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in '' waka'' and '' kanshi'' poetry, and is today revered in Shinto as the god of learning, . In the famed poem anthology ' ...

and

Taira no Masakado was a Heian period provincial magnate (''gōzoku'') and samurai based in eastern Japan, notable for leading the first recorded uprising against the central government in Kyōto. Along with Sugawara no Michizane and Emperor Sutoku, he is of ...

, he is often called one of the “”. Literary works from the Edo period such as and and

ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...

paintings by Utagawa Yoshitsuya depict Emperor Sutoku as an . In 2023, the heavy metal band

Onmyo-Za is a Japanese heavy metal band from Osaka, who released their first album in 1999. History They play quite orthodox heavy metal music, mixed with elements from Japanese folk and pop music, and play both fast, hard songs and slow ballads. Sinc ...

produced the song , about Emperor Sutoku as a .

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press.
OCLC 251325323
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* _____________. (1963)
''Vicissitudes of Shinto.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 36655
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in t ...

''; 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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutoku Emperors of Japan 1119 births 1164 deaths 12th-century Japanese monarchs People of the Heian period Hyakunin Isshu poets Shikashū Sons of Japanese emperors 12th-century Japanese poets