Dajō Tennō
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Dajō Tennō or Daijo Tenno (both 太上天皇) was a Japanese Emperor (Tennō) who abdicated in favor of a successor. It is often shortened as Jōkō (上皇).
As defined in the Taihō Code, although retired, a Dajō Tennō could still exert power. The first such example of Dajō Tennō is the Empress Jito in the 7th century.
A retired emperor sometimes entered the Buddhist monastic community, becoming a cloistered emperor.
This practice was rather common during the Heian period. The last Emperor to rule as a Jōkō was Emperor Kokaku, in 1817. A total of 62 Japanese emperors abdicated.
