Emperor Antoku
Encyclopedia
Emperor Antoku (December 22, 1178 – April 24, 1185) was the 81st emperor
of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Yoritomo, with his cousin Yoshinaka, led a force from the Minamoto clan against the Taira, who controlled the emperor. During a sea battle in April 1185, a member of the royal household took Antoku and plunged with him into the water in the Shimonoseki Straits, drowning the child emperor rather than allowing him to be captured by the opposing forces. The conflict between the clans led to numerous legends and tales. Antoku's tomb is said to be located in a number of places around western Japan, including the island of
Iwo Jima, a result of the spreading of legends about the emperor and the battle.
, his personal name (his imina) was Tokohito-shinnō (言仁親王). He was also known as Kotohito-shinnō.
His father was Emperor Takakura
. His mother, Taira no Tokuko
(平徳子), second daughter of Taira no Kiyomori
(平清盛), was later referred to as Empress Dowager Kenrei (建礼門院, Kenrei-mon In).
at around one month of age. He ascended the throne at one year of age. Naturally, he held no actual power, but rather his grandfather Taira no Kiyomori ruled in his name, though not officially, as sesshō (regent).
In the year of his enthronement, the capital was moved to modern-day Kōbe, Hyōgo
, but it was soon moved back to Heian-kyō
.
In 1183, when Minamoto no Yoshinaka
entered the capital, the Taira clan
fled with the young emperor and the sacred treasures to Yashima (the name of a place inside modern-day Takamatsu
, Kagawa
). Being defeated in the Battle of Yashima, they fled westward.
The Taira were defeated. Antoku's grandmother, Taira no Tokiko
, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori, drowned herself along with the young emperor. His mother also drowned herself, but apparently, according to The Tale of the Heike
(Heike Monogatari), she was pulled out with a rake
by her long hair
. According to legend, the sacred jewels and the sacred sword
(two of the three sacred treasures) sunk to the bottom of the sea, and although the sacred jewels were recovered, the sword was lost.
The story of Emperor Antoku and his mother's family became the subject of the Kamakura period
epic poem The Tale of the Heike
(Heike is an alternate reading of the Japanese characters
for "House of the Taira").
(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 Antoku's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
, Fukuoka
, and he came to be worshipped as Mizu-no-kami (水の神, lit. "water-god" or "god of water"), the god of easy delivery at Suitengū (水天宮, lit. "water-heaven/emperor-shrine") everywhere.
With the establishment of Shintō
as the state religion
of Japan
, the Amidaji Temple was abandoned and the Akama Shrine
was established in Shimonoseki
, Yamaguchi
to celebrate Antoku.
The Imperial Household Agency
designates Amida-ji no misasagi (阿彌陀寺陵) near Akama Shrine
in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
as Antoku's tomb.
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 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Yoritomo, with his cousin Yoshinaka, led a force from the Minamoto clan against the Taira, who controlled the emperor. During a sea battle in April 1185, a member of the royal household took Antoku and plunged with him into the water in the Shimonoseki Straits, drowning the child emperor rather than allowing him to be captured by the opposing forces. The conflict between the clans led to numerous legends and tales. Antoku's tomb is said to be located in a number of places around western Japan, including the island of
Iwo Jima, a result of the spreading of legends about the emperor and the battle.
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 Tokohito-shinnō (言仁親王). He was also known as Kotohito-shinnō.
His father was Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.-Genealogy:...
. His mother, Taira no Tokuko
Taira no Tokuko
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....
(平徳子), 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), was later referred to as Empress Dowager Kenrei (建礼門院, Kenrei-mon In).
Events of Antoku's life
Antoku was named 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....
at around one month of age. He ascended the throne at one year of age. Naturally, he held no actual power, but rather his grandfather Taira no Kiyomori ruled in his name, though not officially, as sesshō (regent).
- 1180 (JishōJishowas a after Angen and before Yōwa. This period spanned the years from August 1177 through July 1181. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1177 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
4, 21st day of the 4th month): In the 12th year of Takakura-tennō 's reign (高倉天皇12年), the emperor was forced to abdicate; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his infant son, the grandson of Taira Kiyomori. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Antoku is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).
In the year of his enthronement, the capital was moved to modern-day Kōbe, Hyōgo
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, but it was soon moved back to Heian-kyō
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:...
.
- 1183 (JueiJueiwas a after Yōwa and before Genryaku. This period spanned the years from May 1182 through March 1184. The reigning emperors were Antoku-tennō and .-Change of era:...
2, 20th day of the 8th month): Go-Toba is proclaimed emperor by the Genji; and consequently, there were two proclaimed emperors, one living in Heian-kyō and another in flight towards the south.
In 1183, when Minamoto no Yoshinaka
Minamoto no Yoshinaka
was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history. A member of the Minamoto samurai clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was his cousin and rival during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and the Taira clans....
entered the capital, the Taira clan
Taira clan
The was a major Japanese clan of samurai in historical Japan.In reference to Japanese history, along with Minamoto, Taira was a hereditary clan name bestowed by the emperors of the Heian Period to certain ex-members of the imperial family when they became subjects...
fled with the young emperor and the sacred treasures to Yashima (the name of a place inside modern-day Takamatsu
Takamatsu, Kagawa
is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
, Kagawa
Kagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
). Being defeated in the Battle of Yashima, they fled westward.
- 1185 (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, 24th day of the 3rd month): The Taira and the Minamoto clashed in the Battle of Dan-no-uraBattle of Dan-no-uraThe ' 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...
.
The Taira were defeated. Antoku's grandmother, Taira no Tokiko
Taira no Tokiko
was the wife of Taira no Kiyomori, mother of Taira no Tokuko, as well as grandmother of Emperor Antoku. Buddhist name – Nii no Ama 二位尼. According to the Tale of the Heike, Taira no Tokiko drowned herself during the Battle of Dan-no-ura together with the boy-Emperor Antoku and the Sacred...
, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori, drowned herself along with the young emperor. His mother also drowned herself, but apparently, according to The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
is 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...
(Heike Monogatari), 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
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
. According to legend, the sacred jewels and the sacred sword
Kusanagi
is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called but its name was later changed to the more popular Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi .-Legends:...
(two of the three sacred treasures) sunk to the bottom of the sea, and although the sacred jewels were recovered, the sword was lost.
The story of Emperor Antoku and his mother's family became the subject of the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
epic poem The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
is 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...
(Heike is an alternate reading of the Japanese characters
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for "House of the Taira").
Kugyō
KugyōKugyo
is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. The kugyō was broadly divided into two groups: the , comprising the Chancellor of the Realm, the Minister of the Left, and the Minister of the Right; and the , comprising the...
(公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan
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...
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 Antoku's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- Sesshō, Konoe MotomichiKonoe Motomichiwas a Kugyō from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. His father was Motozane, the founder of Konoe family, and his mother was a daughter of Tadataka. Among his sons is Iezane....
, 1160–1233. - 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, Taira Munemori, 1147–1185.
- 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....
Memorial site
After his drowning, in order to mourn the body and placate any restless spirits, the Amidaji Goeidō was built. Later, Antoku was enshrined at the Kurume-Suitengū in KurumeKurume, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...
, Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, and he came to be worshipped as Mizu-no-kami (水の神, lit. "water-god" or "god of water"), the god of easy delivery at Suitengū (水天宮, lit. "water-heaven/emperor-shrine") everywhere.
With the establishment of Shintō
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
as the state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
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...
, the Amidaji Temple was abandoned and the Akama Shrine
Akama Shrine
' is a Shinto shrine in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Antoku, a Japanese emperor who died young in the Battle of Dan-no-Ura , which occurred nearby in 1185...
was established 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 :...
to celebrate Antoku.
The Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
designates Amida-ji no misasagi (阿彌陀寺陵) near Akama Shrine
Akama Shrine
' is a Shinto shrine in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Antoku, a Japanese emperor who died young in the Battle of Dan-no-Ura , which occurred nearby in 1185...
in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
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....
as Antoku's tomb.
Eras of Antoku's reign
The years of Antoku's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- JishōJishowas a after Angen and before Yōwa. This period spanned the years from August 1177 through July 1181. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1177 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
(1177–1181) - YōwaYowawas a after Jishō and before Juei. This period spanned the years from July 1181 through May 1182. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1181 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
(1181–1182) - JueiJueiwas a after Yōwa and before Genryaku. This period spanned the years from May 1182 through March 1184. The reigning emperors were Antoku-tennō and .-Change of era:...
(1182–1184) - 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...
(1184–1185) - BunjiBunji (Japanese era)was a after Genryaku and before Kenkyū. This period spanned the years from August 1185 through April 1190. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1185 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
(1185–1190)
See also
- Emperor of JapanEmperor of JapanThe 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...
- List of Emperors of Japan
- Imperial cultImperial cultAn imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors , are worshipped as messiahs, demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejorative sense...
- Akama ShrineAkama Shrine' is a Shinto shrine in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Antoku, a Japanese emperor who died young in the Battle of Dan-no-Ura , which occurred nearby in 1185...
(Akama jingū)