Emperor Go-Toba
Encyclopedia
was the 82nd 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. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198.

This 12th century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba
Emperor Toba
was the 74th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123.- Genealogy :...

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

He was the fourth son of 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:...

, and thus grandson of Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

. His mother was Bōmon Shokushi (坊門殖子) (Empress Dowager Shichijō-in, 七条院), daughter of Bōmon Nobutaka (坊門信隆) of the Fujiwara clan.

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): Empress Dowager Gishūmon-in (宜秋門院) Fujiwara no Ninshi
Fujiwara no Ninshi
Fujiwara no Nishi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor Go-Toba of Japan.- Sources :...

/Takako (藤原任子) (1173–1239), daughter of regent Kujō Kanezane (九条兼実)
  • Imperial Princess Shōshi (昇子内親王) (1195–1211) - unmarried Empress as adopted mother of Emperor Juntoku (Shunkamon-in, 春華門院)


Court lady: Empress Dowager Shomeimon-in (承明門院) Minamoto no Zaishi/Ariko (源在子) (1171–1257), adopted daughter of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Minamoto no Michichika (内大臣源通親) (daughter of priest Nōen, 能円)
  • Imperial Prince Tamehito (為仁親王) (Emperor Tsuchimikado
    Emperor Tsuchimikado
    was the 83rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Tsuchimikado's reign spanned the years from 1198 through 1210.-Genealogy:Before Tsuchimikado's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....

    ) (1196–1231)


Court lady: Empress Dowager Shumeimon-in (修明門院) Fujiwara no Shigeko (藤原重子) (1182–1264), daughter of Takakura Norisue (高倉範季)
  • Imperial Prince Morinari (守成親王) (Emperor Juntoku
    Emperor Juntoku
    was the 84th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221.-Genealogy:...

    ) (1197–1242)
  • Imperial Prince Masanari (雅成親王) (1200–1255) (exiled after 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....

    )
  • Imperial Prince Sonkai (尊快法親王) (1204–1246) - Head Priest of Enryaku-ji Temple (Tendai Zasu, 天台座主)


Court lady: Bōmon no Tsubone (坊門局), daughter of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Bōmon Nobukiyo (坊門信清)
  • Imperial Prince Nagahito (長仁親王) (1196–1249) - 8th Head priest of Ninna-ji Temple (Dōjo Hosshinnō, 道助法親王)
  • Imperial Princess Reiko (礼子内親王) (1200–1273) (Kayōmon-in, 嘉陽門院)
  • Imperial Prince Yorihito (頼仁親王) (1201–1264) (exiled after Jōkyū Incident)


Court lady: Hyōe-no-kami no Tsubone (兵衛督局), daughter of Minamoto no Nobuyasu (源信康)
  • Imperial Princess Shukushi (粛子内親王) (Takatsuji Saigū, 高辻斎宮) (1196-?) - 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 ....

     1199-1210


Court lady: Taki (滝) (?-1265), a dancer (Shirabyōshi)
  • Imperial Prince Kakunin (覚仁法親王) (1198–1266) - Head priest of Onjō-ji Temple


Court lady: Owari no Tsumone (尾張局) (?-1204), daughter of priest Kensei (顕清)
  • Imperial Prince Dōkaku (道覚法親王) (1204–1250) - Head Priest of Enryaku-ji Temple (Tendai Zasu, 天台座主)


Court lady: Tamba no Tsubone (丹波局), Ishi (石), a dancer (Shirabyōshi)
  • Imperial Princess Hiroko (煕子内親王) (Fukakusa Saigū, 深草斎宮) (1205-?) - 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...

     served at Ise Shrine during the reigns of Emperors Emperor Juntoku and Emperor Chūkyō
    Emperor Chukyo
    was the 85th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned only months in 1221, and he was not officially listed amongst the emperors until 1870 because of doubts caused by the length of his reign...

     1215-1221


Court lady: Ōmiya no Tsubone (大宮局), daughter of Gon-no-Dainagon Fujiwara no Sadayoshi (藤原定能)
  • Imperial Prince Son'en (尊円法親王) (1207–1231) - Head Priest of Miidera Temple
  • Gyōetsu (行超) - priest in Emryakuji Temple


Court lady: Shonagon no Suke (少納言典侍)
  • Dōshu (道守) - priest


Court lady: Himehōshi (姫法師), a dancer (Shirabyōshi)
  • Kakuyo (覚誉) - priest
  • Dōi (道伊) - priest in Onjō-ji Temple
  • Dōen (道縁) - priest in Ninna-ji Temple

Events of Go-Toba's life

Go-Toba took the throne at the age of three.
  • September 8, 1183 (Juei
    Juei
    was 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
    ): In the 3rd year of Antoku-tennō 's reign (安徳天皇3年), the emperor fled the capital rather than give in to pressures for his abdication. In Antoku's absence, the cloistered
    Cloistered rule
    The Insei system , or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan during the Heian period. In this bifurcated system, an Emperor abdicated, but he retained power and influence. The emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries continued to act in ways which were intended to...

     former-Emperor Go-Shirakawa then elevated his young brother by decree; and the young child was given the acceptance of abdication (juzen) rites. The anti-Taira faction intended that the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Toba is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).


Although these formal rites and ceremonies were taking place in Heian-kyō, the imperial regalia were still held by Antoku. Thus, the senso and sokui of Go-Toba became the first in history to omit the ritual transmission of the sacred treasures from a sovereign to his successor.

In 1192 Go-Shirakawa died and the first shogunate was established by 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.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...

, and the emperor became a figurehead.

In 1198, the shōgun forced Go-Toba, who was still in his teens, to abdicate. Two of Go-Toba's sons succeeded him on the throne, but they were each in turn also forced to abdicate.

Go-Toba reigned as cloistered Emperor from 1198 till 1221 during reigns of three emperors, but his power was more limited than former cloistered Emperors in the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

.

It was during this time that Go-Toba decreed that the followers of the Pure Land
Jodo Shu
, also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shinshū....

 sect in Kyoto, let by Hōnen, be banished or in some cases executed. Originally this was prompted by complaints of clergy in Kyoto who were concerned about the rise in popularity of the new sect, but Go-Toba personally ordered the decree after two of his ladies in waiting converted to the sect without his knowing.

In 1221, the shōgun installed Go-Toba's three-year-old grandson, Emperor Chūkyō
Emperor Chukyo
was the 85th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned only months in 1221, and he was not officially listed amongst the emperors until 1870 because of doubts caused by the length of his reign...

, as emperor, but Go-Toba chose to stage a rebellion in an attempt to reclaim the throne and 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...

. This is known as 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....

 after the 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...

 in which it occurred. Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 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...

 around Kyoto
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:...

 who were against the Shogunate supported him but most of samurai, particularly in Kantō
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....

 supported the Shogunate with encouragement of Hōjō Masako
Hojo Masako
was the eldest child of Hōjō Tokimasa by his wife Hōjō no Maki, the first shikken, or regent, of the Kamakura shogunate. She was the sister of Hōjō Yoshitoki, and was married to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period...

, the widow of Yoritomo. She persuaded samurai gathering in Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city 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 often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...

 that if they would not support the Shogunate, then the contemporary status and privileges that samurai had attained would be lost, and the court
Imperial Court in Kyoto
thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....

 and kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...

 would regain their power and influence. Go-Toba's rebellion was defeated and Chūkyō was replaced as emperor by Go-Horikawa, a nephew of Go-Toba.

After the rebellion Go-Toba was exiled to 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...

. He died and was buried there. Later a part of his body was buried in Ohara, Kyōto
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....

.

Non-political activities

Despite the limits on his political powers, he developed skills as a calligrapher, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

, critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...

, and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...

, although the majority of his activities took place after his abdication aged 18 (as the abdication freed him from 'the ceremonial prison of the imperial palace').

Besides his enthusiasm for archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...

, equestrianism
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

, and swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...

, Go-Toba was a great lover of swords themselves, and over the course of several years summoned the most talented swordsmiths in the land to his court where they were given honorary titles and invited to teach the emperor their craft. He became a respectable swordsmith himself, and it was his patronage and encouragement of this art that gave birth to Japan's 'Golden Age' of bladesmithing. His contribution to the art is still held in such high esteem, that even today a tradition is maintained in sword literature that he is the first swordsmith to be discussed.

His greatest contribution to literature is the Shin Kokinshū (The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...

), which Japanese has considered one of three major influential waka anthologies along Man'yōshū and Kokin Wakashū. He ordered its creation and took part in the working group
Working group
A working group is an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers working on new research activities that would be difficult to develop under traditional funding mechanisms . The lifespan of the WG can last anywhere between a few months and several years...

 as an editor. He revived the Office of Waka (和歌所) and made it the headquarters of this edition. He held many utakai (waka parties) and utaawase
Utaawase
, poetry contests or waka matches, are a distinctive feature of the Japanese literary landscape from the Heian period. Significant to the development of Japanese poetics, the origin of group composition such as renga, and a stimulus to approaching waka as a unified sequence and not only as...

 (waka competitions). Not only the creator and organizer, he acted as a critic, and wrote the style of waka in general and criticism of his contemporary poets.

During his exile, he continued to recite hundreds of waka and to edit both anthologies from his creation in Oki Islands and a private edition of Shin Kokinshū for 18 years, getting rid of around 400 wakas from the former edition, while its edition had been officially declared to be completed in 1204, and further elaborations finished even in 1216. While he declared his private edition should be authentic, today the 1216 version is considered as the authentic and others as variants. His edition is today called Oki-bon Shin Kokinshū (Oki edition). It is probable that during his exile, he also wrote his Go-Toba no In gokuden ("Secret Teachings"), a short work on aesthetic criticism; the "Secret Teachings" are particularly valuable as a major source on Go-Toba's complicated relationships with his former client, the greatest poet of the age - Fujiwara no Teika.

One of his 31-syllable poems was chosen by Fujiwara no Teika
Fujiwara no Teika
Fujiwara no Teika , also known as Fujiwara no Sadaie or Sada-ie, was a Japanese poet, critic, calligrapher, novelist, anthologist, scribe, and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods...

 as Number 99 in the popular anthology Hyakunin Isshu
Hyakunin Isshu
is a traditional anthology style of compiling Japanese waka poetry where each contributor writes one poem for the anthology. Literally, it translates to "one hundred people, one poem [each]"...

.

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.

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-Toba's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
  • Sesshō, Konoe Motomichi
    Konoe Motomichi
    was 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.
  • Sesshō, Matsu Morie, 1172-1238.
  • Sesshō, Kujō Kanezane.
  • Daijō-daijin, Kujō Kanezane.
  • Daijō-daijin, Kujō Kanefusa, d. 1217.
  • 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...

    , Ōimikado Tsunemune, 1119-1189.
  • 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...

    , Todaiji Sanesada, 1139-1191.
  • 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...

    , Sanjō Sanefusa, 1147-1225.
  • 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...

    , Ōimikado Yorizane, 1155-1225.
  • 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...

    , Tokudaiji Sanesada.
  • 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...

    , Sanjō Sanefusa.
  • 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...

    , Ōimikado Yorizane.
  • Nadaijin, Matsu Morie.
  • Nadaijin, Tokudaiji Sanesada.
  • Nadaijin, Konoe Motomichi.
  • Nadaijin, Kujō Kanefusa.
  • Nadaijin, Kujō Yoshimichi, 1167-1188.
  • Nadaijin, Fujiwara Tudachida, d. 1195.
  • Nadaijin, Kujō Yoshitsine, 1169-1206.
  • 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-Toba's reign

The years of Go-Toba's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.
  • Juei
    Juei
    was 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)
  • Genryaku
    Genryaku
    was 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)
  • Bunji
    Bunji (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)
  • Kenkyū
    Kenkyu
    was a after Bunji and before Shōji. This period spanned the years from April 1190 through April 1199. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1190 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...

    (1190–1199)
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