Emperor Go-Mizunoo
Encyclopedia
was the 108th Emperor of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.
This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa
and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Mizunoo". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Mizunoo, the second", or as "Mizunoo II."
, his personal name (his imina) was or Masahito.
He was the third son of Emperor Go-Yōzei
. His mother was the daughter of Konoe Sakihisa
.
Go-Mizunoo's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi
of the Heian Palace
. The family included at least 33 children; and four of them would occupy the throne.
and Tokugawa Iemitsu
were leaders at the pinnacle of the Tokugawa shogunate
.
For the rest of his long life, Go-Mizuno-in concentrated on various aesthetic projects and interests, of which perhaps the best-known are the magnificent Japanese gardens of the Shugaku-in Imperial Villa
.
Go-Mizunoo's memory is honored at Sennyū-ji
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
where a designated Imperial mausoleum (misasagi) is located. It is named Tsukinowa no misasagi. Also enshrined are this emperor's immediate Imperial successors -- Meishō
, Go-Kōmyō
, Go-Sai
, Reigen
, Higashiyama
, Nakamikado
, Sakuramachi
, Momozono
, Go-Sakuramachi
and Go-Momozono
.
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-Mizunoo'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...
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.
This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa
Emperor Seiwa
was the 56th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.-Traditional narrative:...
and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Mizunoo". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Mizunoo, the second", or as "Mizunoo II."
Genealogy
Before Go-Mizunoo's accession 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 or Masahito.
He was the third son of Emperor Go-Yōzei
Emperor Go-Yozei
was the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the Edo period....
. His mother was the daughter of Konoe Sakihisa
Konoe Sakihisa
, son of regent Taneie, was a court noble of Japan. His life spanned the Sengoku, Azuchi-Momoyama, and early Edo periods. He served as kampaku-sadaijin and daijō daijin, rising to the junior first rank. He was kampaku during the reign of Emperor Go-Nara. Nobutada was his son.Sakihisa was active in...
.
Go-Mizunoo's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi
Dairi
Dairi may refer to:* The building in which the Japanese Imperial family resided , the women of the Imperial family , the Imperial court of Japan, or an indirect way of referring to the Emperor himself....
of the Heian Palace
Heian Palace
The Heian Palace was the original imperial palace of Heian-kyō , the capital of Japan, from 794 to 1227. In Japan, this palace is called Daidairi...
. The family included at least 33 children; and four of them would occupy the throne.
- Chūgo: Tokugawa Kazuko (daughter of Tokugawa HidetadaTokugawa Hidetadawas the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
), later known as Tōfuku-mon'in.- Imperial Prince Takahito (1621–1628)
- Imperial Princess Kazu-no-miya Okiko (女一宮興子内親王): became Empress MeishōEmpress Meishowas the 109th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Meishō's reign spanned the years from 1629 to 1643.In the history of Japan, Meishō was the seventh of eight women to become empress regnant. The six female monarchs who reigned before Meishō-tennō were Suiko, ...
- Consort: Sono (Fujiwara) Mitsuko, Daughter of the 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...
(the Minister of the LeftSadaijin, 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...
)- Imperial Prince Suga-no-miya Tsuguhito (素鵞宮紹仁親王): became Emperor Go-KōmyōEmperor Go-Komyowas the 110th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Kōmyō's reign spanned the years from 1643 through 1654.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 14th century Nanboku-chō Emperor Kōmyō and go- , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called...
- : in 1654, becomes abbot of Kan'ei-jiKan'ei-ji-External links:** * National Diet Library: ; *...
in UenoUenoUeno can refer to a number of places in Japan:*Ueno, Mie: a former city in Mie Prefecture, now part of the city of Iga*Ueno, Gunma: a village in Gunma Prefecture:*Ueno, Okinawa: a village in Okinawa Prefecture:...
, known as Rinnōji no miya.
- Imperial Prince Suga-no-miya Tsuguhito (素鵞宮紹仁親王): became Emperor Go-Kōmyō
- Lady-in-waiting: Kushige (Fujiwara) Takako, Daughter of Sa Konoe Chūjō(左近衛中将,Vice-Secretary of left Imperial Guard).
- Imperial Prince Hide-no-miya Nagahito (秀宮良仁親王): became Emperor Go-SaiEmperor Go-Sai, also known as was the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1654 through 1663....
- : later adopted into the Katsura no miya princely house.
- Imperial Prince Hide-no-miya Nagahito (秀宮良仁親王): became Emperor Go-Sai
- Lady-in-waiting: Sono (Fujiwara) Kuniko, Daughter of the Nadaijin (later known as the Lord Keeper of the Privy SealLord Keeper of the Privy Seal of JapanThe was an administrative post not of Cabinet rank in the government of the Empire of Japan. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal was responsible for keeping the Privy Seal of Japan and State Seal of Japan....
)- Imperial Prince Ate-no-miya Satohito (高貴宮識仁親王): became Emperor ReigenEmperor Reigenwas the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
- Imperial Prince Ate-no-miya Satohito (高貴宮識仁親王): became Emperor Reigen
Events of Go-Mizunoo's life
Masahito-shinnō became emperor following the abdication of his emperor-father. The succession (the senso) was considered to have been received by the new monarch; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Mizunoo is said to have acceded (the sokui). The events during his lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years of Go-Mizunoo's reign correspond with a period in which Tokugawa HidetadaTokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
and Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
were leaders at the pinnacle of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
.
- June 29, 1596: The birth of an Imperial prince who will become known by the posthumous name of Go-Mizunoo.
- May 20, 1610 (KeichōKeichowas a after Bunroku and before Genna. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1596 : The era name was changed to Keichō to mark the passing of various natural disasters...
15, 27th day of the 3rd month): Toyotomi HideyoriToyotomi Hideyoriwas the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
came to Miyako to visit the former-Shogun Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
; and the same day, Go-Yōzei announced his intention to renounce the throne.
- May 9, 1611 (Keichō 16): In the , he abdicated; and the reign of Emperor Go-Mizunoo is considered to have begun. The young emperor was aged 16.
- 1614 (Keichō 19): Siege of OsakaSiege of OsakaThe was a series of battles undertaken by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages , and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege put an end to the last major armed opposition to the shogunate's establishment...
. Shogun Tokugawa HidetadaTokugawa Hidetadawas the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
vanquished Toyotomi HideyoriToyotomi Hideyoriwas the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
and set fire to Osaka CastleOsaka Castleis a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.-Description:...
, and then he returned for the winter to EdoEdo, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
.
- November 26, 1614 (Keichō 19, 25th day of the 10th month): A strong earthquake shook MiyakoMiyako-Places in Japan:*Miyako, Iwate, a city in Iwate Prefecture*The Miyako Islands, including Miyako Island itself**Miyakojima, Okinawa, a city of the Miyako Islands**Miyako language, the Ryukyuan dialect spoken on Miyako Island and other nearby islands...
; and a great bell for the Daibutsu Temple in Miyako was cast.
- 1615 (Keichō 20): Osaka Summer Battle begins
- 1615 (GennaGennawas a coming after Keichō and before Kan'ei. This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
1): Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and his son, Shogun Hidetada, marched again to Osaka Castle, which was captured and burned; but Hideyori managed to flee to Satsuma where he had prepared a refuge in advance.
- January 6, 1616 (Genna 2, 17th day of the 4th month): Ieyasu died at Suruga.
- September 25, 1617 (Genna 3, 26th day of the 8th month): Former-Emperor Go-YōzeiEmperor Go-Yozeiwas the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the Edo period....
died. He is buried at the .
- 1618 (Genna 4, 8th month): A comet appeared in the sky.
- 1620 (Genna 6): Tokugawa Kazuko, the daughter of Shogun Hidetada, entered the palace as a consortQueen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of the emperor; and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp.
- April 2, 1620 (Genna 6, 30th day of the 2nd month): Severe fire in Kyoto.
- April 6, 1620 (Genna 6, 4th day of the 3rd month): Severe fires in Kyoto.
- 1623 (Genna 9): Tokugawa IemitsuTokugawa IemitsuTokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
, son of Hidetada, came to the court of the emperor where he was created Shogun.
- October 25, 1623 (Kan'ei 3, 6th day of the 9th month): Go-Mizunoo visits Nijō CastleNijo Castleis a flatland castle located in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens...
, which was built in 1586 by Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
- 1627 (Kan'ei 6): The : The Emperor was accused of having bestowed honorific purple garments to more than ten priests despite the shogun's edict which banned them for two years (probably in order to break the bond between the Emperor and religious circles). The shogunate intervened making the bestowing of the garments invalid. The priests which had been honored by the emperor were send into exile by the bakufu.
- December 22, 1629 (Kan'ei 6, 8th day of the 11th month): Go-Mizunoo abdicated. The emperor renounced the throne in favor of his daughter on the same day that the priests of the "Purple Clothes Incident" went into exile.
For the rest of his long life, Go-Mizuno-in concentrated on various aesthetic projects and interests, of which perhaps the best-known are the magnificent Japanese gardens of the Shugaku-in Imperial Villa
Shugaku-in Imperial Villa
The , or Shugaku-in Detached Palace, is a set of gardens and outbuildings in the hills of the eastern suburbs of Kyoto, Japan...
.
- September 11, 1680 (EnpōEnpo, also Empo, was a after Kanbun and before Tenna. This period spanned the years from September 1673 to September 1681. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
8, 19th day of the 8th month): Former-Emperor Go-Mizunoo died.
Go-Mizunoo's memory is honored at Sennyū-ji
Sennyu-ji
, formerly written as , is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. For centuries, Sennyū-ji was a mortuary temple for aristocrats and the imperial house. Located here are the official tombs of Emperor Shijō and many of the emperors who came after him....
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
' is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Shimogyō-ku. During the years 1931 to 1976 it also covered the area of present-day Yamashina-ku, which was an independent town until its merger into the city in 1931...
where a designated Imperial mausoleum (misasagi) is located. It is named Tsukinowa no misasagi. Also enshrined are this emperor's immediate Imperial successors -- Meishō
Empress Meisho
was the 109th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Meishō's reign spanned the years from 1629 to 1643.In the history of Japan, Meishō was the seventh of eight women to become empress regnant. The six female monarchs who reigned before Meishō-tennō were Suiko, ...
, Go-Kōmyō
Emperor Go-Komyo
was the 110th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Kōmyō's reign spanned the years from 1643 through 1654.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 14th century Nanboku-chō Emperor Kōmyō and go- , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called...
, Go-Sai
Emperor Go-Sai
, also known as was the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1654 through 1663....
, Reigen
Emperor Reigen
was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
, Higashiyama
Emperor Higashiyama
was the 113th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Higashiyama's reign spanned the years from 1687 through 1709.-Genealogy:...
, Nakamikado
Emperor Nakamikado
was the 114th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Nakamikado's reign spanned the years from 1709 through 1735.-Genealogy:...
, Sakuramachi
Emperor Sakuramachi
was the 115th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1735 through 1747.-Genealogy:...
, Momozono
Emperor Momozono
was the 116th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Momazono's reign spanned the years from 1747 until his death in 1762.-Genealogy:...
, Go-Sakuramachi
Empress Go-Sakuramachi
was the 117th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1762 through 1771....
and Go-Momozono
Emperor Go-Momozono
was the 118th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Momozono's reign spanned the years from 1771 through his death in 1779....
.
Kugyō
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-Mizunoo's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- Kampaku, Kujō YukiieKujo Yukiie, son of regent Kanetaka, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . His given name was initially. He held a regent position kampaku from 1608 to 1612 and from 1619 to 1623. He married Toyotomi Sadako, a daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu and adopted daughter of shogun Tokugawa Hidetada...
, 1608–1612 - Kampaku, Takatsukasa NobuhisaTakatsukasa Nobuhisa, son of Nobufusa, was a kugyo or Japanese court noble of the early Edo period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1612 to 1615. Norihira was his son.-References:...
, 1612–1615 - Kampaku, Nijō AkizaneNijo Akizane, son of regent Nijō Haruyoshi, was a Japanese kugyō of the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the early Edo period. He held a regent position kampaku two times, once in 1585, and again from 1615 to 1619. He married a daughter of daimyo Oda Nobunaga and the couple adopted Kujō Yukiie's son, who became...
, 1615–1619 - Kampaku, Kujō YukiieKujo Yukiie, son of regent Kanetaka, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . His given name was initially. He held a regent position kampaku from 1608 to 1612 and from 1619 to 1623. He married Toyotomi Sadako, a daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu and adopted daughter of shogun Tokugawa Hidetada...
, 1619–1623 - Kampaku, Konoe NobuhiroKonoe Nobuhiro, Ōzan as a monk, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . He was born as the fourth son of Emperor Go-Yōzei. His mother was Empress Dowager Chūka, Konoe Sakiko in birth...
, 1623–1629. - Kampaku, Ichijō AkiyoshiIchijo Akiyoshi, son of Emperor Go-Yōzei and adopted son of regent Uchimoto, was a kugyō of the Edo period of Japan. He held regent positions kampaku in 1629 and from 1647 to 1651, and sesshō from 1629 to 1635 and in 1647. His wife was a daughter of Oda Yorinaga, and with her he had a daughter and sons Norisuke...
, 1629 - 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...
, Konoe Nobuhiro, 1619. - 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-Mizunoo's reign
The years of Go-Mizunoo's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- KeichōKeichowas a after Bunroku and before Genna. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1596 : The era name was changed to Keichō to mark the passing of various natural disasters...
(1596–1615) - GennaGennawas a coming after Keichō and before Kan'ei. This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1615–1624) - Kan'ei (1624–1644)
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...