Taira no Tokuko
Encyclopedia
For the asteroid, see 5242 Kenreimonin
, later known as , was the last Heike
Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval battle of Dan-no-ura
.
Her life became a compelling narrative which survives as both history and as literature.
of Japan
, whose reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.
She was the second daughter of Taira no Kiyomori
(平清盛), and thus she was her Emperor husband's first cousin (as his mother and Tokuko's mother were half-sisters).
Emperor Takakura abdicated on the 21st day of the 2nd month of 1180; and when his son was enthroned, the mother of the emperor (kōdai-kugō) received the name Kenrei-mon In. In this period, the names of the several gates in the walls surrounding the Imperial grounds refer not only to the wall-openings themselves; these names were also used to refer indirectly to a nearby residence of an empress whose husband had abdicated, or as an indirect way of referring to an empress dowager herself.
For example, , whose official home, after the abdication and death of Emperor Takakura, was located near the Kenrei Gate.
at in Shimonoseki
, Yamaguchi
.
The Taira were defeated decisively. Many of the Taira samurai threw themselves into the waves rather than live to see their clan's ultimate defeat at the hands of the Minamoto. Antoku's grandmother, Taira no Tokiko, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori, leapt into the water with the young emperor clasped firmly in her arms.
Kenrei-mon In also tried to drown herself; but according to the conventionally accepted accounts, she was pulled out with a rake
by her long hair.
This once-pampered great lady is said to have composed this poem in her hermit's hut:
and bunraku
plays reproduce events of the war as well.
The central theme of the Heike story—and the mirrored theme of Taira no Tokuko's life story—is a demonstration of the Buddhist law of impermanence
. The theme of impermanence (mujō) is captured in the opening passage:
In this and other classic Japanese monogatari, the central figures are popularly well known, the major events are generally understood, and the stakes as they were understood at the time are conventionally accepted as elements in the foundation of Japanese culture. The accuracy of each of these historical records has become a compelling subject for further study; and some accounts have been shown to withstand close scrutiny, while other presumed “facts” have turned out to be inaccurate.
In English-language literature, Tokuko's life and reign are depicted throughout the two-volume historical fiction narrative, White as Bone, Red as Blood, by Cerridwen Fallingstar
, published in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
5242 Kenreimonin
For Empress Kenreimon-In see Taira no Tokuko5242 Kenreimonin is a main-belt asteroid discovered on January 18, 1991 by Inoda and Urata at Karasuyama.- External links :*...
, later known as , was the last Heike
Heike
Heike may refer to:* Heike clan, a Japanese clan name* Heikegani, a species of crab named after the Heike clan* Heike * The Tale of the Heike, an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War...
Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval battle of Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura
The ' was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On March 24, 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement.The Taira were outnumbered, but...
.
Her life became a compelling narrative which survives as both history and as literature.
Daughter of an emperor
Tokuko-hime became the adopted daughter of , the 77th emperor of Japan who reigned from 1155 through 1158. In 1171, when Tokuko was adopted at age 17, the former-Emperor had abdicated the throne and entered the Buddhist priesthood, taking the Buddhist name of Gyōshin. Twelve days later, Gyōshin's new daughter was further elevated in the role of consort of Emperor Takakura, age 11.Consort of an emperor
Tokuko-hime became the Empress consort (kugō) of , the 80th emperorEmperor 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...
, whose reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.
She was the second daughter of Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori
was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
(平清盛), and thus she was her Emperor husband's first cousin (as his mother and Tokuko's mother were half-sisters).
Emperor Takakura abdicated on the 21st day of the 2nd month of 1180; and when his son was enthroned, the mother of the emperor (kōdai-kugō) received the name Kenrei-mon In. In this period, the names of the several gates in the walls surrounding the Imperial grounds refer not only to the wall-openings themselves; these names were also used to refer indirectly to a nearby residence of an empress whose husband had abdicated, or as an indirect way of referring to an empress dowager herself.
Mother of an emperor
Kenrei-mon In was the mother of , who would later become , the 81st Emperor of Japan. The boy Emperor reigned from 1180 through 1185.Survivor of Dan-no-ura
Arguably, the most difficult moments in Kenreimon-In's life occurred near the close of the battle of Dan-no-ura, which took place near the southern tip of HonshūHonshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
at in Shimonoseki
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
, Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
.
- GenryakuGenryakuwas a after Juei and before Bunji. This period spanned the years from April 1184 through August 1185. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1184 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
2, on the 24th day of the 3rd month (April 25, 1185): The Taira and the Minamoto clashed for the last time.
The Taira were defeated decisively. Many of the Taira samurai threw themselves into the waves rather than live to see their clan's ultimate defeat at the hands of the Minamoto. Antoku's grandmother, Taira no Tokiko, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori, leapt into the water with the young emperor clasped firmly in her arms.
Kenrei-mon In also tried to drown herself; but according to the conventionally accepted accounts, she was pulled out with a rake
Rake (tool)
A rake is a broom for outside; an horticultural implement consisting of a toothed bar fixed transversely to a handle, and used to collect leaves, hay, grass, etc., and, in gardening, for loosening the soil, light weeding and levelling, removing dead grass from...
by her long hair.
Buddhist nun
This sometime daughter, wife, and mother of emperors became a recluse in her later years.- Bunji 1, on the 1st day of the 5th month (1185): Kenrei-mon In took the tonsure at Chōraku-jiChoraku-jiis a small Shingon sect Buddhist temple in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is noteworthy in that it was the location of the signing of the Treaty of Shimoda in 1855, which officially established diplomatic relations between Bakumatsu Japan and the Russian Empire.-History:Chōraku-ji was...
, a branch temple of Enryaku-jiEnryaku-jithumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...
on Higashiyama....Link to assorted photos of Chōraku-ji - Bunji 1, on the 30st day of the 9th month (1185): Kenrei-mon In retreated further from the world when she moved to Jakkō-in, a Buddhist nunnery near the village of Ōhara, northeast of the Heian-kyō....Click for link to photos of Jakkō-in and Ōhara
- Bunji 2, on the 20th day of the 4th month (1186): Gyōshin, the cloistered former-Emperor Go-Shirakawa, visited Kenrei-mon In at her rural retreat in Ōhara.
- KenkyūKenkyuwas a after Bunji and before Shōji. This period spanned the years from April 1190 through April 1199. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1190 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
2, in the 2nd month (1192): Kenrei-mon In dies in Ōhara.
This once-pampered great lady is said to have composed this poem in her hermit's hut:
-
-
-
- Did I ever dream
- That I would behold the moon
- Here on the mountain --
- The moon that I used to view
- In the sky o'er the palace?
-
-
In literature
Many stories and works of art depict this period in Japanese history, and it is through these sources that the life of Tokuko-dono is best known. is the most famous of the sources from which we learn about this historical character, although many kabukiKabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
and bunraku
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...
plays reproduce events of the war as well.
The central theme of the Heike story—and the mirrored theme of Taira no Tokuko's life story—is a demonstration of the Buddhist law of impermanence
Impermanence
Impermanence is one of the essential doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism...
. The theme of impermanence (mujō) is captured in the opening passage:
- 祗園精舎の鐘の声、諸行無常の響きあり。娑羅双樹の花の色、盛者必衰の理をあらわす。
- おごれる人も久しからず、唯春の夜の夢のごとし。たけき者も遂にはほろびぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同じ。
- The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.
In this and other classic Japanese monogatari, the central figures are popularly well known, the major events are generally understood, and the stakes as they were understood at the time are conventionally accepted as elements in the foundation of Japanese culture. The accuracy of each of these historical records has become a compelling subject for further study; and some accounts have been shown to withstand close scrutiny, while other presumed “facts” have turned out to be inaccurate.
In English-language literature, Tokuko's life and reign are depicted throughout the two-volume historical fiction narrative, White as Bone, Red as Blood, by Cerridwen Fallingstar
Cerridwen Fallingstar
Cerridwen Fallingstar , is an American Wiccan Priestess, Shamanic Witch, and author. Since the late 1970s she has written, taught, and lectured about magic, ritual, and metaphysics, and is considered a leading authority on pagan Witchcraft...
, published in 2009 and 2011, respectively.