Emperor Go-Daigo
Encyclopedia
Emperor Go-Daigo (November 26, 1288 – September 19, 1339) was the 96th emperor
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.

Post-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 :...

 historians construe Go-Daigo's reign to span 1318-1339; however, pre-Meiji accounts of his reign considered the years of his reign to encompass only between 1318-1332. Pre-Meiji scholars also considered Go-Daigō a pretender Emperor in the years from 1336 through 1339,

This 14th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Daigo
Emperor Daigo
was the 60th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial.-Traditional narrative:...

 and go- (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the 'Later Emperor Daigo'. The Japanese word 'go' has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as 'Daigo, the second,' or as 'Daigo II.'

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum 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 Takaharu-shinnō (尊治親王).

He was the second son of the Daikakuji-tō emperor, Emperor Go-Uda
Emperor Go-Uda
Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

. His mother was Fujiwara no Chūshi/Tadako (藤原忠子), daughter of Fujiwara no Tadatsugu (Itsutsuji Tadatsugu) (藤原忠継/五辻忠継). She became Nyoin called Dantenmon-in (談天門院).

Emperor Go-Daigo's ideal was the Engi
Engi (era)
was a after Shōtai and before Enchō. This period spanned the years from July 901 through April 923. The reigning emperors were .-Change of era:* January 23, 901 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...

 era
Japanese era name
The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era...

 (901-923) during the reign of Emperor Daigo
Emperor Daigo
was the 60th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial.-Traditional narrative:...

, a period of direct imperial rule. An emperor's posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...

 was normally chosen after his death, but Emperor Go-Daigo chose his personally during his lifetime, to share it with Emperor Daigo.

Consorts and children

Empress
Japanese empresses
In Japan, empress may refer to either or .- Empresses regnant :There were eight female imperial reigns in Japan's early history between 593 and 770, and two more in the early modern period...

 (Chūgū) : Saionji Kishi
Saionji no Kishi
was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan.- Sources :...

 (西園寺禧子) (Go-Kyōgoku-in, 後京極院) (1303–1333), daughter of Saionji Sanekane (西園寺実兼)
  • princess (1314-?), died young
  • Imperial Princess Kanshi (懽子内親王) (Senseimon-in, 宣政門院) (1315–1362), Saiō
    Saio
    A , also known as "Itsuki no Miko", was an unmarried female relative of the Japanese emperor, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, Saikū , was approximately 10 km north-west of the shrine...

     at Ise Shrine
    Ise Shrine
    is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....

    ; later, married to Emperor Kōgon
    Emperor Kōgon
    Emperor Kōgon was the 1st of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan...



Empress
Japanese empresses
In Japan, empress may refer to either or .- Empresses regnant :There were eight female imperial reigns in Japan's early history between 593 and 770, and two more in the early modern period...

 (Chūgū) : Imperial Princess Junshi
Princess Junshi
Imperial Princess Junshi or , was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan. She was also a Princess of Japan as the daughter of Emperor Go-Fushimi of Japan and Court Lady Saionji .Issue:* Imperial Princess Yukiko - Sources :...

 (珣子内親王) (Shin-Muromachi-in, 新室町院) (1311–1337), daughter of Emperor Go-Fushimi
Emperor Go-Fushimi
Emperor Go-Fushimi was the 93rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

  • Imperial Princess Yukiko (幸子内親王) (1335-?)


Nyōgo
Kokyu
The is a traditional Japanese string instrument, the only one played with a bow. Although it was introduced to Japan from China along with the shamisen, its material, shape, and sound are unique to Japan...

: Fujiwara no Eishi (藤原栄子), daughter of Nijō Michihira
Nijo Michihira
, son of regent Nijō Kanemoto, was a Japanese kugyō of the late Kamakura period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1316 to 1318 and from 1327 to 1330. He married a daughter of Nijō Morotada and a daughter of Saionji 公顕...



Court lady: Minamoto no Chikako (源親子), daughter of Kitabatake Morochika (北畠師親)
  • Imperial Prince Moriyoshi
    Prince Morinaga
    was a son of Emperor Go-Daigo and Minamoto no Chikako executed by Ashikaga Tadayoshi in 1335.When Moriyoshi was 18, Go-Daigo had him named the head abbot of the Enryakuji temple on Mount Hiei....

     (or Morinaga) (護良親王) (1308–1335) - Head Priest of Enryakuji (Tendai-zasu, 天台座主) (Buddhist name: Prince Son'un, 尊雲法親王)
  • Imperial Princess Hishi (妣子内親王) - nun in Imabayashi


Court lady: Fujiwara no Ishi/Tameko (藤原為子) (?-1311/2), daughter of Nijō Tameyo (二条為世)
  • Imperial Prince Takayoshi (also Takanaga) (尊良親王) (1306/8-1337)
  • Imperial Prince Munenaga (also Muneyoshi) (宗良親王) (1311-1385?) - Head Priest of Enryakuji (Tendai-zasu, 天台座主) (Buddhist name: Prince Sonchō, 尊澄法親王)
  • Imperial Princess Tamako (瓊子内親王) (1316–1339) - nun
  • Imperial Princess Kinshi (欣子内親王) - nun in Imabayashi


Court lady: Ichijō no Tsubone (一条局), daughter of Saionji Sanetoshi (西園寺実俊)
  • Imperial Prince Tokiyoshi (also Yoyoshi) (世良親王) (1306/8-1330)
  • Imperial Prince Jōson (静尊法親王) (Imperial Prince Keison, 恵尊法親王) - priest in Shōgoin (聖護院)
  • princess - nun in Imabayashi


Court lady: Fujiwara no Renshi (Ano Renshi) (藤原廉子/阿野廉子) (Shin-Taikenmon-in, 新待賢門院) (1301–1359), daughter of Ano Kinkado (阿野公廉)
  • Imperial Prince Tsunenaga
    Prince Tsunenaga
    ' was one of the sons of Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo. He became involved in the Nanboku-chō wars between the true Imperial line and the Ashikaga clan....

     (also Tsuneyoshi) (恒良親王) (1324–1338)
  • Imperial Prince Nariyoshi
    Prince Narinaga
    reigned from 1334 to 1338 and was one of two Seii Taishogun during the Kemmu Restoration. He was also Crown Prince in 1336 ....

     (also Narinaga) (成良親王) (1326-1338/1344)
  • Imperial Prince Noriyoshi (義良親王) (Emperor Go-Murakami
    Emperor Go-Murakami
    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 . His personal name was...

    ) (1328–1368)
  • Imperial Princess Shoshi (祥子内親王) - Saiō
    Saio
    A , also known as "Itsuki no Miko", was an unmarried female relative of the Japanese emperor, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, Saikū , was approximately 10 km north-west of the shrine...

     at Ise Shrine
    Ise Shrine
    is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....

     1333-1336; later, nun in Hōan-ji
  • Imperial Princess Ishi (惟子内親王) - nun in Imabayashi


Court lady: Gon-no-Dainagon no Sammi no Tsubone (権大納言三位局) (?-1351), daughter of Nijō Tamemichi (二条為道)
  • Imperial Prince Hōnin (法仁法親王) (1325–1352) - priest in Ninna-ji
    Ninna-ji
    is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...

  • Imperial Prince Kaneyoshi (also Kanenaga) (懐良親王) (1326–1383) - Seisei Taishōgun (征西大将軍) 1336-?
  • princess


Princess: a daughter of Emperor Kameyama
Emperor Kameyama
was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1259 through 1274.-Genealogy:...

  • Kōshō (恒性) (1319–1333) - priest


Court lady: Shōshō no Naishi (少将内侍), daughter of Sugawara no Arinaka (菅原在仲)
  • Imperial Prince Seijo (聖助法親王) (?-?) - Head Priest of Onjō-ji
    Mii-dera
    ', formally called ', is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of Ōtsu, in Shiga Prefecture. It is only a short distance from both Kyoto, and Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. The head temple of the Tendai Jimon sect, it is something of a sister temple to Enryakuji, at...



Court lady: Fujiwara no Chikako (藤原親子), daughter of Kazan'in Munechika (花山院宗親)
  • Imperial Prince Mitsuyoshi (満良親王)


Court lady: Fujiwara no Shushi/Moriko (藤原守子), daughter of Tōin Saneyasu (洞院実泰)
  • Imperial Prince Gen'en (玄円法親王) - Head Priest of Kōfuku-ji
    Kofuku-ji
    is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...



Court lady: Konoe no Tsubone (近衛局)
  • Prince Tomoyoshi (知良王)


Court lady: Shōnagon no Naishi (少納言内侍), daughter of Shijō Takasuke (四条隆資)
  • Sonshin (尊真) - priest


Court lady: Gon-no-Chūnagon no Tsubone (権中納言局), daughter of Sanjō Kinyasu (三条公泰)
  • Imperial Princess Sadako (貞子内親王)


Court lady: Mimbu-kyō no Tsubone (民部卿局)
  • princess - married to Konoe Mototsugu
    Konoe Mototsugu
    , son of Tsunehira, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1337 to 1338. With a daughter of sangi Fujii Tsuguzane he had a son Michitsugu.-References:...

     (divorced later)


(unknown women)
  • Imperial Prince Saikei (最恵法親王) - priest in Myōhō-in
  • Mumon Gensen (無文元選) (1323–1390) - founder of Hōkō-ji (Shizuoka)
    Hoko-ji (Shizuoka)
    ' near Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture dates from the 14th century.Mumon Gensen founded in 1371. Since 1903, Hōkō-ji has been the main temple of Hōkō-ji sect of the Rinzai school of Buddhism.- See also :...

  • Yōdō (?-1398) - 5th Head Nun of Tōkei-ji
    Tokei-ji
    , also known as or ), is a Buddhist temple and a former nunnery, the only survivor of a network of five nunneries called , in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the Rinzai school of Zen's Engaku-ji branch, and was opened by Hōjō Sadatoki in 1285. It is best known as...



Go-Daigo had some other princesses from some court ladies.

Events of Go-Daigo's life

Emperor Go-Daigo became emperor at the age of 31, in the prime of his life.
  • 1308 (Enkyō 1): At the death of Emperor Go-Nijō
    Emperor Go-Nijo
    Emperor Go-Nijō was the 94th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from March 3, 1301 until September 10, 1308...

    , Hanazono accedes to the Chrysanthemum Throne
    Chrysanthemum 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....

     at age 12 years; and Takaharu-shinnō
    Emperor Go-Daigo
    Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....

    , the second son of former-Emperor Go-Uda
    Emperor Go-Uda
    Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

     is elevated as Crown Prince and heir apparent under the direction of the Kamakura shogunate
    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...

    .
  • March 29, 1318 (Bunpō 2, 26th day of 2nd month): In the 11th year of Hanazono-tennō 's reign (花園天皇11年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by his cousin, the second son of former-Emperor Go-Uda. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Daigo is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).
  • 1319 (Bunpō 3, 4th month): Emperor Go-Daigo caused the nengō to be changed to Gen'ō
    Gen'o
    was a after Shōwa and before Genkō. This period spanned the years from April 1319 through February 1321. The reigning Emperor was .-Change of era:...

     to mark the beginning of his reign.

In 1324, with the discovery of Emperor Go-Daigo's plans to overthrow the Kamakura Shogunate
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...

, the Rokuhara Tandai
Rokuhara Tandai
was the post of the chiefs of the Kamakura shogunate in Kyoto whose agency kept responsibility for security in Kinai and judicial affairs on western Japan, and negotiated with the imperial court. Despite keeping security, they were also a sort of secret police and widely feared.Rokuhara Tandai was...

 disposed of his close associate Hino Suketomo in the Shōchū Incident.

In the Genkō Incident
Genko War
The —also known as the —was a civil war in Japan which marked the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and end of the power of the Hōjō clan. The war thus preceded the Nanboku-chō period and the rise of the Ashikaga shogunate...

 of 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo's plans were again discovered, this time by a betrayal by his close associate Yoshida Sadafusa. He quickly hid the Sacred Treasures in a secluded castle in Kasagiyama (the modern town of Kasagi
Kasagi, Kyoto
is a town located in Sōraku District, Kyoto, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 1,754. The total area is 23.57 km².-External links:*...

, Sōraku district
Soraku District, Kyoto
Soraku is a district in Kyoto, Japan.As of 2007, the district had an estimated population of 44,982 and a density of 252.27 persons per km². The total area is 178.31 km².-Towns and villages:*Kasagi*Minamiyamashiro*Seika*Wazuka...

, Kyōto Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....

) and raised an army, but the castle fell to the Bakufu's army the following year, and they enthroned Emperor Kōgon
Emperor Kōgon
Emperor Kōgon was the 1st of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan...

, exiling Emperor Go-Daigo to Oki Province
Oki Province
was an old province of Japan which is now Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Oki province consisted of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan, located off the coast of the provinces of Izumo and Hōki....

 (the Oki Islands
Oki Islands
are a group of islands in the southwestern part of the Sea of Japan and belong to Japan.-Geography:The Oki Islands are situated between 40 to 80 kilometers north of the coast of Honshū.The islands are of volcanic origin and have a total area of 346,1 km2...

 in modern-day Shimane Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...

), the same place to which 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....

 had been exiled after 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....

 of 1221.

In 1333, Emperor Go-Daigo escaped from Oki with the help of Nawa Nagatoshi and his family, raising an army at Funagami Mountain in Hōki Province
Hoki Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the western part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Hōki bordered on Inaba, Mimasaka, Bitchū, Bingo, and Izumo Provinces....

 (the modern town of Kotoura in Tōhaku District
Tohaku District, Tottori
is a district located in Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 65,944 and a density of 109.54 persons per km². The total area is 602.02 km².-Towns and villages:*Hokuei*Kotoura*Misasa*Yurihama-Mergers:...

, Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...

). 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...

, who had been sent by the 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...

 to find and destroy this army, sided with the Emperor and captured the Rokuhara Tandai
Rokuhara Tandai
was the post of the chiefs of the Kamakura shogunate in Kyoto whose agency kept responsibility for security in Kinai and judicial affairs on western Japan, and negotiated with the imperial court. Despite keeping security, they were also a sort of secret police and widely feared.Rokuhara Tandai was...

. Immediately following this, Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada
was the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....

, who had raised an army in the East, destroyed 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...

 and captured the Bakufu.

Returning to 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:...

, Emperor Go-Daigo took the throne from Emperor Kōgon
Emperor Kōgon
Emperor Kōgon was the 1st of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan...

 and began the Kenmu Restoration. The Restoration was ostensibly a revival of the older ways, but, in fact, the emperor had his eye set on an imperial dictatorship like that of the emperor of China
Chinese sovereign
Chinese sovereign is the ruler of a particular period in ancient China. Several titles and naming schemes have been used throughout history.-Emperor Title:...

. He wanted to imitate the Chinese in all their ways and become the most powerful ruler in the East. Impatient reforms, litigation over land rights, rewards, and the exclusion of the samurai from the political order caused much complaining, and his political order began to fall apart. In 1335, 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...

, who had travelled to eastern Japan without obtaining an imperial edict in order to suppress the Nakasendai Rebellion, became disaffected with the Restoration. Emperor Go-Daigo ordered Nitta Yoshisada to track down and destroy Ashikaga. Ashikaga defeated Nitta Yoshisada at the Battle of Takenoshita, Hakone. Kusunoki Masashige
Kusunoki Masashige
was a 14th century samurai who fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in his attempt to wrest rulership of Japan away from the Kamakura shogunate and is remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty.-Tactician:...

 and Kitabatake Akiie
Kitabatake Akiie
was a Japanese court noble, and an important supporter of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō Wars. He also held the posts of Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North, and Governor of Mutsu Province...

, in communication with Kyoto, smashed the Ashikaga army. Takauji fled to Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, but the following year, after restructuring his army in Kyūshū, he again approached Kyōto. Kusunoki Masashige proposed a reconciliation with Ashikaga Takauji to the emperor, but Go-Daigo rejected this. He ordered Masashige and Yoshisada to destroy Takauji. Kusunoki's army was defeated at the Battle of Minatogawa
Battle of Minatogawa
The Battle of Minatogawa also known as the Battle of Minato River was fought in 1336 between Japanese forces loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo and the Ashikaga clan. The Imperial forces were led by Kusunoki Masashige and Nitta Yoshisada, while the Ashikaga were led by Ashikaga Takauji. The Ashikaga were...

 (湊川の戦い).

When Ashikaga's army entered Kyōto, Emperor Go-Daigo resisted, fleeing to Mount Hiei
Mount Hiei
is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...

, but seeking reconciliation, he sent the Sacred Treasures to the Ashikaga side. Takauji enthroned the Jimyōin-tō 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 officially began his shogunate with the enactment of the Kenmu Law Code.

Go-Daigo escaped from the capital, the Sacred Treasures that he had handed over to the Ashikaga being counterfeit, and set up the Southern Court among the mountains of 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...

, beginning the Period of Northern and Southern Courts
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...

 in which the Northern Dynasty in Kyōto and the Southern Dynasty in Yoshino faced off against each other.

Emperor Go-Daigo ordered Imperial Prince Kaneyoshi to Kyūshū and Nitta Yoshisada and Imperial Prince Tsuneyoshi to Hokuriku
Hokuriku region
The is located in the northwestern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan....

, and so forth, dispatching his sons all over, so that they could oppose the Northern Court.
  • September 18, 1339 (Ryakuō
    Ryakuo
    was 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...

     2, 15th day of the 8th month): In the 21st year of Go-Daigo's reign, the emperor abdicated at Yoshino in favor of his son, Noriyoshi-shinnō, who would become Emperor Go-Murakami
    Emperor Go-Murakami
    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 . His personal name was...

    .

  • September 19, 1339 (Ryakuō
    Ryakuo
    was 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...

     2, 16th day of the 8th month): Go-Daigo died;

The actual site of Go-Daigo's grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....

 is settled. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....

 Shinto
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...

 shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....

 (misasagi) at Nara.

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 this location as Go-Daigo's mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...

. It is formally named Tō-no-o no misasagi.

Kugyō

Kugyō (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. 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-Daigo's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
  • Kampaku, Nijō Michihira
    Nijo Michihira
    , son of regent Nijō Kanemoto, was a Japanese kugyō of the late Kamakura period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1316 to 1318 and from 1327 to 1330. He married a daughter of Nijō Morotada and a daughter of Saionji 公顕...

    , 1316–1318
  • Kampaku, Ichijō Uchitsune
    Ichijo Uchitsune
    , son of Uchisane, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1318 to 1323. Tsunemichi was his son.-References:...

    , 1318–1323
  • Kampaku, Kujō Fusazane
    Kujo Fusazane
    , son of regent Tadanori and adopted son of Moronori, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1323 to 1324. A daughter of Nijō Kanemoto was one of his wives with whom he adopted Michinori, son of his adopted father Moronori.-References:...

    , 1323–1324
  • Kampaku, Takatsukasa Fuyuhira
    Takatsukasa Fuyuhira
    , son of Kanetada and adopted son of Mototada, was kugyo or highest-ranking Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period . Morohira was his son. Fuyunori was his adopted son...

    , 1324–1327
  • Kampaku, Nijō Michihira, 1327–1330
  • Kampaku, Konoe Tsunetada
    Konoe Tsunetada
    , son of Iehira, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Kamakura period . He held a regent position kampaku in 1330 and from 1336 and 1337.-References:...

    , 1330
  • Kampaku, Takatsukasa Fuyunori, 1330–1333
  • Sadaijin
    Sadaijin
    , 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...

  • Udaijin
    Udaijin
    Udaijin , 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...

  • Naidaijin
  • Dainagon
    Dainagon
    was 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-Daigo's reign

The years of Go-Diago's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō. Emperor Go-Daigo's eight era name changes are mirrored in number only in the reign of Emperor Go-Hanazono
Emperor Go-Hanazono
was the 102nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1428 through] 1464....

, who also reigned through eight era name changes.
Pre-Nanboku-chō court
  • Bumpō
    Bumpo
    , also romanized as Bumpō, was a after Shōwa and before Gen'ō. This period spanned the years from February 1317 to April 1319. The reigning Emperors were and .-Change of era:...

      (1317–1319)
  • Gen'ō
    Gen'o
    was a after Shōwa and before Genkō. This period spanned the years from April 1319 through February 1321. The reigning Emperor was .-Change of era:...

      (1319–1321)
  • Genkō  (1321–1324)
  • Shōchū
    Shochu (era)
    was a after Genkō and before Karyaku. This period spanned the years from December 1324 to April 1326. The reigning Emperor was .-Change of era:* 1324 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...

      (1324–1326)
  • Karyaku
    Karyaku
    , also romanized as Kareki, was a after Shōchū and before Gentoku. This period spanned the years from April 1326 through August 1329. The reigning Emperor was .-Change of era:...

      (1326–1329)
  • Gentoku
    Gentoku
    was a Japanese era name after Karyaku and before Genkō. This period spanned the years from August 1329 through April 1331 in the Southern Court, but continued to be used in the Northern Court until 1332. The reigning Emperor was .-Change of era:...

      (1329–1331)
  • Genkō  (1331–1334)
  • Kemmu
    Kemmu
    was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shōkei and before Ryakuō. Although Kemmu is understood by the Southern Court as having begun at the same time, the era was construed to have begun after Genkō and before Engen.This period spanned the...

      (1334–1336)

Nanboku-chō southern court
  • Eras as reckoned by legitimate sovereign's Court (as determined by Meiji rescript)
    • Engen
      Engen
      Engen 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)

Nanboku-chō northern Court
  • Eras as reckoned by pretender sovereign's Court (as determined by Meiji rescript)
    • Shōkei
      Shokei
      was a relative to Honganji Kennyo, and the administrator of Ganshō-ji. In the battle between Shōe and Oda Nobunaga, Shōe even sent out Nobunaga's brother Oda Nobuoki to take his own life. In the face of many fierce attacks, he finally accepted defeat and committed suicide....

        (1332–1338)
    • Ryakuō
      Ryakuo
      was 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)

In popular culture

Emperor Go-Daigo appears in the alternate history
Alternate history (fiction)
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...

 novel Romanitas
Romanitas (novel)
Romanitas is an alternate history novel by Sophia McDougall, published by Orion Books. It is the first of a planned trilogy of novels based on a world where the Roman Empire has survived to contemporary times and now dominates much of the world....

 by Sophia McDougall
Sophia McDougall
Sophia McDougall is a British novelist, playwright, and poet.-Novelist:McDougall is best known internationally as the author of alternate history novels published by Orion Publishing Group and based on the premise that the Roman Empire survived to contemporary times.-Books:*Romanitas , Orion Books...

.

See also

  • 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...

  • List of Emperors of Japan
  • Imperial cult
    Imperial cult
    An 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...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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