EMPEROR REIZEI

'Emperor Reizei' (冷泉天皇 ''Reizei-tennō'') (12 June, 950 - 21 November, 1011) was the '63rd' emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 967 through 969.^[1]

Contents

Genealogy

Events of Reizei''-tennō's reign

''Kugyō''

Eras of Reizei''-tennō's reign

References

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''iminia'') was Norihira''-shinnō''.^[2]
Norihira''-shinnō'' was the second son of Emperor Murakami. His mother, Empress Yasuko, was a daughter of minister of the right Fujiwara no Morosuke.^[3] Soon after his birth he was appointed as crown prince. This decision was supposedly made under the influence of Morosuke and his brother Fujiwara no Sanetomo who had seized power in the court.
From ancient times, there have been four noble clans, the ''Gempeitōkitsu'' (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the Minamoto clan (源氏)are also known as Genji, and of these, the Reizei Genji (冷泉源氏)are descended from 63th emperor Reizei.

Events of Reizei''-tennō's reign

Mental illness his succession was considered somewhat problematic. In 967 his father Murakami died and Reizei ascended to the throne at the age of eighteen and Sanetomo was appointed kanpaku regent to support the emperor in his illness. A struggle occurred between two princes of Murakami over who would be appointed the crown prince. In 969 Reizei retired and received the honorific title of 'Reizei-in Jōkō' (retired emperor Reizei).
Emperor Reizei's reign lasted for just two years. In retirement, he lived to the age of 62.^[3]

''Kugyō''

''Kugyō'' (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan 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-Toba's reign, this apex of the ''Daijō-kan'' included:

★ ''Kampaku'', Ōno-no-miya Fujiwara no Saneyori (藤原実頼), 900-970.^[5]

★ ''Daijō-daijin'', Fujiwara Saneyori.^[5]

★ ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara Morotada, 920-969.^[5]

Eras of Reizei''-tennō's reign

The years of Reizei's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or ''nengō''.^[8]

★ ''Kōhō'' (964-968)

★ ''Anna'' (968-970)

References

1. Titsingh, Issac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon,'' p. 142; Brown, Delmer ''et al.'' (1979). ''Gukanshō,'' p. 298.
2. Varely, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' P. 190; Brown, p. 264. [Up until the time of Emperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors (their ''iminia'') were very long and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign.]
3. Varley, p. 190.
4. Varley, p. 190.
5. Brown, p. 298.
6. Brown, p. 298.
7. Brown, p. 298.
8. Titsingh, p. 142.


★ Brown, Delmer and Ichiro Ishida, eds. (1979). [ Jien (1221)], ''Gukanshō; "The Future and the Past: a translation and study of the 'Gukanshō,' an interpretive history of Japan written in 1219" translated from the Japanese and edited by Delmer M. Brown & Ichirō Ishida.'' Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03460-0

★ Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō (1652)], ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth.'' Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. --''Two copies of this rare book have now been made available online: (1) from the library of the University of Michigan, digitized January 30, 2007; and (2) from the library of Stanford University, digitized June 23, 2006.'' Click here to read the original text in French.

★ Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). [ Kitabatake Chikafusa (1359)], ''Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley).'' New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04940-4