Emperor Go-Murakami
Encyclopedia
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, 1368 (Shōhei
23, 11th day of the 3rd month). His personal name was . He reigned from Sumiyoshi, Ōsaka
, Yoshino
, Nara
, and other temporary locations.
This 14th century sovereign was named after the 10th century Emperor Murakami
and go- (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Murakami". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one"; and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Murakami, the second", or as "Murakami II".
. The contested succession pitted what were known as the Northern and Southern Courts against each other. These years are also known as the Nanboku-chō period. When Emperor Go-Daigo
began his Kemmu Restoration
, the still very young prince, along with Kitabatake Akiie, in 1333 went to Tagajō in what is now Miyagi Prefecture
, at the time Mutsu Province
, to return the eastern samurai
to their allegiance and destroy the remnants of the Hōjō clan
. However, in 1335, because Ashikaga Takauji
had raised a rebellion, the Emperor returned to the west along with Kitabatake Chikafusa, the father of Akiie, in order to defeat Takauji. When Takauji defeated them in Kyōto
in 1336, they again returned to Mutsu Province
. In 1337, because Tagajō was attacked, they returned yet again to the west, returning to Yoshino while constantly fighting battles.
Again, in 1338, they headed to Tagajō, but returned to Yoshino because of a storm. In 1339, he became Crown Prince
.
On September 18 of that same year, he became emperor upon the abdication of Emperor Go-Daigo
.
In 1348, Kō no Moronao attacked Yoshino, and the Emperor left for modern-day Nishiyoshino Village
in Yoshino District
, Nara Prefecture
, which was then the Yamato Province
.
In 1352, entering Otokoyama in Yamashiro Province
, in the Battle of Shichijō Ōmiya, Kusunoki Masanori recovered Kyōto from Ashikaga Yoshiakira
. At this time, the Retired Northern Emperors Emperor Kōgon
, Emperor Kōmyō
and Emperor Sukō
were captured and imprisoned at Otokoyama. However, a month later, they had to abandon Kyōto after a counter-attack by Ashikaga.
They were confined to Otokoyama, but escaped to Kawachi Province
during an attack by Yoshiakira, and a few months later returned to Yoshino.
In the twelfth month, eighth day of 1361, Hosokawa Kiyōji and Kusunoki Masanori, who had returned to the Southern Court's allegiance, attacked Kyōto, temporarily recovering it. But, Yoshiakira quickly responded, and they evacuated Kyōto 18 days later.
They continued trying to recover Kyōto, but the Southern Court's power was already weakening, and by the Emperor's death in 1368, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
was in power and the throne had been moved to Sumiyoshi.
Go-Murakami's tomb is known as Hinoo no misasagi (檜尾陵); it is located in the precincts of Kanshinji temple (観心寺) in Kawachinagano, Osaka
.
in pre-Meiji
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-Murakami's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō
Nanboku-cho
The , spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Muromachi bakufu of Japan's history.During this period, there existed a Northern Imperial Court, established by Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and a Southern Imperial Court, established by Emperor Go-Daigo in...
period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339 until March 29, 1368 (Shōhei
Shohei
was a Japanese era name of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōkoku and before Kentoku. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Court emperors in Yoshino were and...
23, 11th day of the 3rd month). His personal name was . He reigned from Sumiyoshi, Ōsaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Yoshino
Yoshino
Yoshino may refer to:* Somei Yoshino, a flowering cherry tree Prunus × yedoensis* Japanese cruiser Yoshino- Places :* Yoshino, Nara, a town located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan...
, Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, and other temporary locations.
This 14th century sovereign was named after the 10th century Emperor Murakami
Emperor Murakami
was the 62nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967.-Traditional narrative:...
and go- (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Murakami". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one"; and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Murakami, the second", or as "Murakami II".
Events of Go-Murakami's life
He lived during the turbulent years of conflict between rival claimants to the Chrysanthemum ThroneChrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
. The contested succession pitted what were known as the Northern and Southern Courts against each other. These years are also known as the Nanboku-chō period. When Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
began his Kemmu Restoration
Kemmu restoration
The is the name given to both the three year period of Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period, and the political events that took place in it...
, the still very young prince, along with Kitabatake Akiie, in 1333 went to Tagajō in what is now Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, at the time Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
, to return the eastern samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
to their allegiance and destroy the remnants of the Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
. However, in 1335, because Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
had raised a rebellion, the Emperor returned to the west along with Kitabatake Chikafusa, the father of Akiie, in order to defeat Takauji. When Takauji defeated them in Kyōto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1336, they again returned to Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
. In 1337, because Tagajō was attacked, they returned yet again to the west, returning to Yoshino while constantly fighting battles.
Again, in 1338, they headed to Tagajō, but returned to Yoshino because of a storm. In 1339, he became Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
.
On September 18 of that same year, he became emperor upon the abdication of Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
.
In 1348, Kō no Moronao attacked Yoshino, and the Emperor left for modern-day Nishiyoshino Village
Nishiyoshino, Nara
was a village located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 3,673 and a density of 39.98 persons per km²...
in Yoshino District
Yoshino District, Nara
Yoshino is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 59,020 and a density of 26.14 persons per km²...
, Nara Prefecture
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
, which was then the Yamato Province
Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
.
In 1352, entering Otokoyama in Yamashiro Province
Yamashiro Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai. It overlaps the southern part of modern Kyoto Prefecture on Honshū. Aliases include , the rare , and . It is classified as an upper province in the Engishiki....
, in the Battle of Shichijō Ōmiya, Kusunoki Masanori recovered Kyōto from Ashikaga Yoshiakira
Ashikaga Yoshiakira
was the 2nd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1358 to 1367 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshiakira was the son of the founder and first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji....
. At this time, the Retired Northern Emperors Emperor Kōgon
Emperor Kōgon
Emperor Kōgon was the 1st of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan...
, Emperor Kōmyō
Emperor Komyo
was the 2nd of the Ashikaga Pretenders, although he was actually the first to be supported by the Ashikaga Bakufu. According to pre-Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1336 through 1348.-Genealogy:...
and Emperor Sukō
Emperor Suko
) was the third of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. According to pre-Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1348 through 1351.-Genealogy:...
were captured and imprisoned at Otokoyama. However, a month later, they had to abandon Kyōto after a counter-attack by Ashikaga.
They were confined to Otokoyama, but escaped to Kawachi Province
Kawachi Province
was a province of Japan in the eastern part of modern Osaka Prefecture. It originally held the southwestern area that was split off into Izumi Province...
during an attack by Yoshiakira, and a few months later returned to Yoshino.
In the twelfth month, eighth day of 1361, Hosokawa Kiyōji and Kusunoki Masanori, who had returned to the Southern Court's allegiance, attacked Kyōto, temporarily recovering it. But, Yoshiakira quickly responded, and they evacuated Kyōto 18 days later.
They continued trying to recover Kyōto, but the Southern Court's power was already weakening, and by the Emperor's death in 1368, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
was the 3rd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who ruled from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was the son of the second shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira....
was in power and the throne had been moved to Sumiyoshi.
Go-Murakami's tomb is known as Hinoo no misasagi (檜尾陵); it is located in the precincts of Kanshinji temple (観心寺) in Kawachinagano, Osaka
Kawachinagano, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 112,696 and the density of 1,030 persons per km². The total area is 109.61 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1954.-Claims to fame:...
.
Kugyō
Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of JapanEmperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
in pre-Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
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-Murakami's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- SadaijinSadaijin, most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Sadaijin in the context of a central...
- UdaijinUdaijinUdaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Udaijin in the context of a central...
- Nadaijin
- DainagonDainagonwas 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....
Eras of Go-Murakami's reign
The years of Go-Murakami's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- Nanboku-chō southern court
- Eras as reckoned by legitimate Court (as determined by Meiji rescript)
- EngenEngenEngen was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kemmu and before Kōkoku, lasting from February 1336 to April 1340...
(1336–1340) - KōkokuKokokuKōkoku was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Engen and before Shōhei, lasting from April 1340 to December 1346. The emperor in Kyoto was...
(1340–1346) - ShōheiShoheiwas a Japanese era name of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōkoku and before Kentoku. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Court emperors in Yoshino were and...
(1346–1370)
- Engen
- Eras as reckoned by legitimate Court (as determined by Meiji rescript)
- Nanboku-chō northern court
- Eras as reckoned by pretender Court (as determined by Meiji rescript)
- RyakuōRyakuowas a Japanese era of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts, lasting from August 1338 to April 1342. The emperor in Kyoto was...
(1338–1342) - KōeiKoei (era)was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Ryakuō and before Jōwa. This period spanned the years from April 1342 to October 1345. The emperor in Kyoto was...
(1342–1345) - JōwaJowa (Muromachi period)was a Japanese era or nengō which was promulgated by the more militarily powerful of two Imperial rival courts during the . This nengō came after Kōei and before Kannō and lasting from October 1345 through February 1350. The emperor in Kyoto was...
(1345–1350) - KannōKanno-People:* Aya Kanno, manga artist* Naoe Kanno, a fictional character from the anime/manga Strike Witches* Takeshi Kanno, Japanese writer* Yoko Kanno, composer and musicianKannō may refer to:, Japanese era from 1350 to 1352...
(1350–1352) - BunnaBunna, also romanized as Bunwa, was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kannō and before Enbun. This period spanned the years from September 1352 through March 1356. The emperor in Kyoto was...
(1352–1356) - Embun (1356–1361)
- Kōan (1361–1362)
- JōjiJojiwas a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōan and before Ōan. This period spanned the years from September 1362 through February 1368. The emperor in Kyoto was...
(1362–1368) - ŌanOan, also romanized as Ō-an, was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Jōji and before Eiwa. This period spanned the years from February 1368 through February 1375...
(1368–1375)
- Ryakuō
- Eras as reckoned by pretender Court (as determined by Meiji rescript)
Genealogy
He was the seventh son of Emperor Go-DaigoEmperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
- Empress Consort (kōgō): Fujiwara (Unknown name)
- Court Lady: Fujiwara no Shōshi (藤原勝子)
- First son: Imperial Prince Yutanari (寛成親王) (Emperor ChōkeiEmperor ChokeiEmperor Chōkei was the 98th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from 1368 through 1383...
) - Second son: Imperial Prince Hironari (熙成親王) (Emperor Go-KameyamaEmperor Go-Kameyamawas the 99th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He ruled from 1383 to October 21, 1392, becoming the last Emperor of the Southern Court...
) - Fourth son: Imperial Prince Yasunari (泰成親王)
- First son: Imperial Prince Yutanari (寛成親王) (Emperor Chōkei
- Court Lady: Minamoto no Akiko (源顕子)
- First daughter: Imperial Princess Noriko (憲子内親王) (Empress Dowager Shin-Sen'yō (新宣陽門院))
- Consort: Daughter of Nakahara no Moroharu (中原師治)
- Third son: Imperial Prince Korenari (惟成親王)
- Fifth son: Imperial Prince Moronari (師成親王)
- Consort: Daughter of Ochi Iehide (越智家栄)
- Sixth son: Imperial Prince Kanenari (説成親王)
- Seventh son: Imperial Prince Yoshinari (良成親王)