Emperor Juntoku
Encyclopedia
was the 84th emperor
of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221.
, his personal name (his imina) was .
He was the third son of Emperor Go-Toba
. His mother was Shigeko (重子), the daughter of Fujiwara Hanki (藤原範季)
in 1200. He was elevated to the throne after Emperor Go-Toba
pressured Emperor Tsuchimikado
into abdicating.
In actuality, Emperor Go-Toba wielded effective power as a cloistered emperor
during the years of Juntoku's reign.
In 1221, he was forced to abdicate because of his participation in Go-Toba's unsuccessful attempt to displace the Kamakura bakufu
with re-asserted Imperial power. This political and military struggle was called the Jōkyū War
or the Jōkyū Incident (Jōkyū-no ran).
After the Jōkyū-no ran, Juntoku was sent into exile on Sado Island (佐渡島 or 佐渡ヶ島, both Sadogashima), where he remained until his death in 1242.
This emperor is known posthumously as Sado-no In (佐渡院) because his last years were spent at Sado. He was buried in a mausoleum, the Mano Goryo, on Sado's west coast. Juntoku's official Imperial tomb (misasagi) is in Kyoto.
Juntoku was tutored in poetry by Fujiwara no Sadaie, who was also known as Teika
. One of the emperor's poems was selected for inclusion in the what became a well-known anthology, the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. This literary legacy in Teika's collection of poems has accorded Juntoku a continuing popular prominence beyond the scope of his other lifetime achievements. The poets and poems of the Hyakunin isshu form the basis for a card game (uta karuta) which is still widely played today.
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 juntoku'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. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221.
Genealogy
Before his ascension 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....
, his personal name (his imina) was .
He was the third son of Emperor Go-Toba
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....
. His mother was Shigeko (重子), the daughter of Fujiwara Hanki (藤原範季)
- Empress (chūgū): Kujō Fujiwara no RitsushiFujiwara no RitsushiFujiwara no Ritsushi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor Juntoku of Japan.-Notes:...
(?) (九条（藤原）立子)- Second daughter: Imperial Princess Taiko (?) (諦子内親王)
- Fourth son: Imperial Prince Kanenari (懐成親王) (Emperor Emperor ChūkyōEmperor Chukyowas the 85th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned only months in 1221, and he was not officially listed amongst the emperors until 1870 because of doubts caused by the length of his reign...
)
- Lady-in-waiting: Daughter of Fujiwara Norimitsu (藤原範光)
- Sixth son: Imperial Prince Zentō (善統親王)
- Seventh son: Prince Hikonari (彦成王)
- Consort: Daughter of Fujiwara Sayaki (藤原清季)
- Fifth son: Prince Tadanari (忠成王)
Events of Juntoku's life
Morinari-shinnō became Crown PrinceCrown 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....
in 1200. He was elevated to the throne after Emperor Go-Toba
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....
pressured Emperor Tsuchimikado
Emperor Tsuchimikado
was the 83rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Tsuchimikado's reign spanned the years from 1198 through 1210.-Genealogy:Before Tsuchimikado's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
into abdicating.
- 1210 (Jōgen 1, 25th day of the 11th month): In the 12th year of Tsuchimikado-tennō 's reign (土御門天皇12年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his younger brother, the second son of the former-Emperor Go-Toba. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Juntoku is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).
In actuality, Emperor Go-Toba wielded effective power as a cloistered emperor
Cloistered rule
The Insei system , or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan during the Heian period. In this bifurcated system, an Emperor abdicated, but he retained power and influence. The emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries continued to act in ways which were intended to...
during the years of Juntoku's reign.
In 1221, he was forced to abdicate because of his participation in Go-Toba's unsuccessful attempt to displace the Kamakura bakufu
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
with re-asserted Imperial power. This political and military struggle was called the Jōkyū War
Jokyu 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 overthrow....
or the Jōkyū Incident (Jōkyū-no ran).
This emperor is known posthumously as Sado-no In (佐渡院) because his last years were spent at Sado. He was buried in a mausoleum, the Mano Goryo, on Sado's west coast. Juntoku's official Imperial tomb (misasagi) is in Kyoto.
Juntoku was tutored in poetry by Fujiwara no Sadaie, who was also known as Teika
Fujiwara no Teika
Fujiwara no Teika , also known as Fujiwara no Sadaie or Sada-ie, was a Japanese poet, critic, calligrapher, novelist, anthologist, scribe, and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods...
. One of the emperor's poems was selected for inclusion in the what became a well-known anthology, the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. This literary legacy in Teika's collection of poems has accorded Juntoku a continuing popular prominence beyond the scope of his other lifetime achievements. The poets and poems of the Hyakunin isshu form the basis for a card game (uta karuta) which is still widely played today.
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.
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 juntoku's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- Kampaku, Konoe IezaneKonoe Iezane, son of Motomichi, was a court noble of the early Kamakura period. His sons include: Takatsukasa Kanehira, and Konoe Kanetsune.In 1206 when Kujō Yoshitune died, he became the head of the Fujiwara family and Sesshō. The same year he was appointed Kampaku. In the Jōkyū War he opposed to Emperor...
, d. 1242. - 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 Juntoku's reign
The years of Juntoku's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- Jōgen (1207–1211)
- KenryakuKenryakuwas a after Jōgen and before Kempo. This period spanned the years from March 1211 through December 1213. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1211–1213) - KempōKempo (era)was a Japanese era name after Kenryaku and before Jōkyū. This period spanned the years from December 1213 through April 1219...
(1213–1219) - JōkyūJokyu, also called Shōkyū, was a Japanese era name after Kempō and before Jōō. This period spanned the years from April 1219 through April 1222...
(1219–1222)