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Emperor Go-Shirakawa (????? Go-Shirakawa-tenno) (October 18, 1127 – April 26, 1192) was the 77th emperor
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
 of Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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 1155 through 1158.

This 12th century sovereign was named after the 11th century Emperor Shirakawa
Emperor Shirakawa

Emperor Shirakawa was the 72nd Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from January 18, 1073 to January 5, 1087....
 and go-, translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Shirakawa".






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Emperor Go-Shirakawa (????? Go-Shirakawa-tenno) (October 18, 1127 – April 26, 1192) was the 77th emperor
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
 of Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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 1155 through 1158.

This 12th century sovereign was named after the 11th century Emperor Shirakawa
Emperor Shirakawa

Emperor Shirakawa was the 72nd Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from January 18, 1073 to January 5, 1087....
 and go-, translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Shirakawa". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Shirakawa, the second," or as "Shirakawa II."

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne

File:Emperor Tenji.jpgThe Chrysanthemum Throne is the English language term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, as in the raised thrones constructed in the Shishin-den for Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun on November 10, 1928 ....
, his personal name (his imina) was Masahito-shinno.

He was the fourth son of Emperor Toba
Emperor Toba

Emperor Toba was the 74th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123....
. His mother was Shoko
Shoko

Shoko can refer to:*Shoko , disciple of Honen and second patriarch of Jodo-shu*Emperor Shoko , the 101st Emperor of Japan*Shoko Nakagawa , Japanese idol...
, the daughter of Fujiwara Kinzane
Major consorts and children
  • Empress (chugu): Tokudaiji (Fujiwara) ??
  • Consort (shinno-hi): Minamoto Atsushiko
    • First son: Imperial Prince Morihito (Emperor Nijo
      Emperor Nijo

      Emperor Nijo was the 78th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spaned the years from 1158 through 1165....
      )
  • Court Lady: Sanjo (Fujiwara) Soko (??(??)??)
  • Court Lady: Taira no Shigeko
    • Seventh son: Imperial Prince Norihito (Emperor Takakura
      Emperor Takakura

      Emperor Takakura was the 80th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180....
      )
  • Consort: Fujiwara Naruko ??
    • Third son: Prince Mochihito
      Prince Mochihito

      , also known as the 'Takakura Prince', and as 'Minamoto Mochimitsu', was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War....


Events of Go-Shirakawa's life

Goshirakawa Tenno Ryo M1711
  • Kyuju
    Kyuju

    was a after Ninpei and before Hogen . This period spanned the years from 1151 through 1154. The reigning emperors were and ....
     2    , on the 23rd day of the 7th month (1155): Emperor Konoe
    Emperor Konoe

    Emperor Konoe was the 76th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1142 through 1155....
     died at the age of 17 years without leaving any heirs.


  • Kyuju 2, on the 24th day of the 7th month (????; 1155): In the 14th year of Konoe-tennos reign (????14?), the emperor died; and despite an ensuring dispute over who should follow her as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by a younger brother, the 14th on of former-Emperor Toba. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Shirakawa is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).


He accumulated power steadily after the Hogen Rebellion
Hogen Rebellion

The Hogen Rebellion was a Japanese civil war fought in 1156 over Emperors of Japan succession and control of the Fujiwara Regents clan of regents....
; his reign commenced in 1155. In 1158, he abdicated, but continued to hold power as a cloistered emperor
Cloistered rule

The Insei system , or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan, in which the Tenno abdicated, but kept exerting power and influence....
. He attempted to decrease the influence of the Fujiwara clan and increased the power of the samurai
Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial society Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character ? was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau....
. His policy allowed 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 had previously only held a minor post....
 to seize power, and at the end of his life he allowed Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo

was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199....
 to establish the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate

The Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura, Kanagawa....
 in Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa

is a cities of Japan located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called . Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is sometimes considered a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Shikken during the Kamakura Period....
, in the province of Sagami, modern-day Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture

is a prefectures of Japan located in the southern Kanto region of Honshu, Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area....
. The establishment of the Shogunate (or Bakufu) was the beginning of samurai control of Japan for 700 years until the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure....
 in the middle of the 19th century.

Retired Emperor Toba
Emperor Toba

Emperor Toba was the 74th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123....
 expected him to be on the throne. When his brother, Emperor Konoe
Emperor Konoe

Emperor Konoe was the 76th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1142 through 1155....
, died in 1155, Go-Shirakawa became emperor with support of Toba and a powerful lord Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Fujiwara no Tadamichi

Fujiwara no Tadamichi was the eldest son of the Japanese regent Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the politically powerful Fujiwara clan....
, since they were against Retired Emperor Sutoku
Emperor Sutoku

Emperor Sutoku was the 75th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1123 through 1142....
 and did not want his son to be the next emperor. They expected Go-Shirakawa to keep the throne until his son, the future Emperor Nijo
Emperor Nijo

Emperor Nijo was the 78th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spaned the years from 1158 through 1165....
 would be old enough succeed him. The coronation of Go-Shirakawa made the political tension between Toba and Sutoku stronger. At the beginning of Go-Shirakawa's reign Toba continued to reign as a cloistered emperor
Cloistered rule

The Insei system , or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan, in which the Tenno abdicated, but kept exerting power and influence....
 until his death.

  • Hogen
    Hogen (era)

    was a after Kyuju and before Heiji. This period spanned the years from 1156 through 1159. The reigning emperors were and ....
     1    , on the 2nd day of the 7th month (1156): The former-Emperor Toba died at the age of 54.


In 1156 Toba died and soon afterwards the Hogen Rebellion
Hogen Rebellion

The Hogen Rebellion was a Japanese civil war fought in 1156 over Emperors of Japan succession and control of the Fujiwara Regents clan of regents....
 arose. Go-Shirakawa gained the support of samurai including Minamoto no Yoshitomo
Minamoto no Yoshitomo

was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of History of Japan. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo became shogun and founded the Kamakura Shogunate, the first shogunate in the history of Japan....
 and 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 had previously only held a minor post....
, and they defeated the armies of Sutoku. After the rebellion, Go-Shirakawa ruled Japan by himself. In 1158 he abdicated to his son Nijo and became cloistered emperor, through the reigns of five emperors (Emperor Nijo
Emperor Nijo

Emperor Nijo was the 78th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spaned the years from 1158 through 1165....
, Emperor Rokujo
Emperor Rokujo

Emperor Rokujo was the 79th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168....
, Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura

Emperor Takakura was the 80th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180....
, Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku

Emperor Antoku was the 81st Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185....
, and Emperor Go-Toba
Emperor Go-Toba

was the 82nd Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
) until his death in 1192.

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 had previously only held a minor post....
 and Go-Shirakawa were on good terms initially. Kiyomori began trade with China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 and supported Go-Shirakawa, not just militarily but also financially. Two samurai clans, the Taira and the Minamoto, stood against each other, and the Heiji Rebellion
Heiji Rebellion

The was fought between rival subjects of the Cloistered rule Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. It was preceded by the Hogen Rebellion in 1156. In many ways, this struggle is seen as a direct outcome of that earlier armed dispute....
 occurred in 1159.

  • Kao
    Kao

    Kao may refer to:*Kao airport south of Tobelo on Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia*Kao , a crater on the Moon.*Kao an island from an extinct volcano in Tonga...
     1    , in the 6th month (1169): Emperor Go-Shirakawa entered the Buddhist priesthood at the age of 42. He took the Buddhist name of Gyoshin.


The Minamoto lost and the Taira seized power. With Kiyomori's power at its peak, the good relationship between Kiyomori and Go-Shirakawa ended. Go-Shirakawa attempted a coup d'état
Coup d'état

A coup d??tat , often simply called a coup, is the sudden unconstitutional overthrow of a government by a part of the state establishment – usually the military – to replace the branch of the stricken government, either with another civil government or with a military government....
 to expel Kiyomori in 1177 but failed. Kiyomori forced Go-Shirakawa to stay in Toba-in, the former palace of his father, Emperor Toba, in 1179. In 1178 Kiyomori made Imperial Prince Tokihito
Emperor Antoku

Emperor Antoku was the 81st Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185....
 crown prince. Tokihito was his grandson, the child of Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura

Emperor Takakura was the 80th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180....
 and empress consort 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....
, who was a daughter of Kiyomori.

Go-Shirakawa planned to regain power, and secretly sent his son Prince Mochihito
Prince Mochihito

, also known as the 'Takakura Prince', and as 'Minamoto Mochimitsu', was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War....
 to deliver a message to the Minamoto in which Go-Shirakawa proclaimed the Taira as the enemy of the court and requested that the Minamotos fight against them. In 1180 Mochihito and Minamoto no Yorimasa
Minamoto no Yorimasa

was a prominent Japanese poet whose works appeared in various anthologies. He served eight different emperors in his long career, holding posts such as hyogo no kami ....
 started the first rebellion. It failed, but several other samurai followed their attempt. In 1181 Kiyomori died and the decline of the Taira began. Go-Shirakawa began ruling again as cloistered emperor. In 1183 Minamoto no Yoshinaka
Minamoto no Yoshinaka

was a general of the late Heian Period of History of Japan. 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....
 from Musashi province
Musashi Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture, mainly Kawasaki, Kanagawa and Yokohama....
 defeated the Taira and entered Kyoto
Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
. After internal struggles within the Minamoto clan, Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Minamoto no Yoshitsune

was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo....
, a brother of Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo

was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199....
 finally destroyed the Taira clan entirely in 1185 at the Battle of Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura

The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. On April 25 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement....
.

Go-Shirakawa came to bad terms with Yoritomo, and between them Yoshitsune was sacrificed. Yoritomo considered Yoshitsune disloyal to him and finally in 1189 Yoshitsune died in the battle of Mutsu province
Mutsu Province

was an old provinces of Japan of Japan, made up of the present-day Prefectures of Japans of Fukushima Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture and Aomori Prefecture, and the municipalities of Kazuno, Akita and Kosaka, Akita in Akita Prefecture....
. At the same time the Oshu Fujiwara clan, the Fujiwara clan in Mutsu province, was destroyed because they supported Yoshitsune against Yoritomo, who claimed then the title of chief of all samurai. After the death of Yoshitsune, Go-Shirakawa and Yoritomo reconciled and Go-Shirakawa allowed Yoritomo found a new shogunate.

  • Kenkyu
    Kenkyu

    was a after Bunji and before Shoji . This period spanned the years from 1190 through 1199. The reigning emperor was .Change of era...
     3    , on the 13th day of the 3rd month (1192): The former-Emperor Go-Shirakawa died at the age of 66. He had been father or grandfather to five emperors -- Nijo, the 78th emperor; Rokujo, the 79th emperor; Takakura, the 80th emperor; Antoku, the 81st emperor; and Go-Toba, the 81st emperor.


Kugyo
Kugyo is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
 in pre-Meiji
Meiji period

The , or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running, in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912. During this time, Japan started its modernization and rose to world power status....
 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 Go-Shirakawa's reign, this apex of the Daijo-kan included:
  • Kampaku, Fujiwara Tadamichi, 1099-1164.
  • Daijo-daijin, Sanjo Saneyuki, 1079-1162.
  • Sadaijin
    Sadaijin

    Sadaijin , most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
    , Fujiwara Yorinaga, 1120-1156.
  • Udaijin
    Udaijin

    Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
  • Nadaijin
  • Dainagon
    Dainagon

    , often translated as "Great Councillor," was a government post of the Japanese ritsuryo governmental system, which was in place for much of the classical and feudal periods....


Eras of Go-Shirakawa's reign

The years of Go-Shirakawa's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengo.
  • Kyuju
    Kyuju

    was a after Ninpei and before Hogen . This period spanned the years from 1151 through 1154. The reigning emperors were and ....
     (1154-1156)
  • Hogen
    Hogen (era)

    was a after Kyuju and before Heiji. This period spanned the years from 1156 through 1159. The reigning emperors were and ....
      (1156-1159)


See also

  • Emperor of Japan
    Emperor of Japan

    The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
  • List of Emperors of Japan
    List of Emperors of Japan

    The following is a traditional list of Emperor of Japan. Dates for the first 28 emperors, and especially the first 16, are based on the Japanese era name system....
  • Imperial cult
    Imperial cult

    An Imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors , are worshiped as messiahs, demigods or deity. "Cult " here is used to mean "worship," not in the modern pejorative sense....