Emperor Kōkaku

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Emperor Kōkaku (光格天皇 Kōkaku Tennō) (September 23, 1771 – December 11, 1840) was the 119th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from December 16, 1779 until May 7, 1817. His name was originally Morohito (師仁), but later was changed to Tomohito (兼仁). His title was Sachi-no-miya (祐宮).

1 Genealogy
2 Life
3 Eras of his Reign
4 See also

[edit] Genealogy

He was the sixth son of Prince Kan'in-no-miya Sukehito (閑院宮典仁), grandson of Emperor Higashiyama. On the day before his enthronement, the dying Go-Momozono, his second cousin, formally adopted him as his son.

Empress (chūgū): Imperial Princess Yoshiko (欣子内親王), daughter of Emperor Go-Momozono (Emperor's chief wife Yoshiko (?, 欣子内親王), also known as Shinkiyowa-in (?, 新清和院))
- Third son: Imperial Prince Masuhito (温仁親王)
- Seventh son: Imperial Prince Toshihito (悦仁親王)
Lady-in-waiting: Hamuro Yoriko (葉室頼子)
- First son: Imperial Prince Uyahito (禮仁親王)
- First daughter: Nobu-no-miya (能布宮)
- Second son: Taka-no-miya (俊宮)
Lady-in-waiting: Kajyūji Tadako (勧修寺婧子)
- Fourth son: Imperial Prince Ayahito (恵仁親王) (Emperor Ninkō)
- Second daughter: ?? (多祉宮)
- Fourth daughter: Haru-no-miya (娍宮)
Lady-in-waiting: Takano Masako? (高野正子)
- Sixth son: Naka-no-miya (猗宮)
Lady-in-waiting: Anekōji Satoko (姉小路聡子)
- Fifth daughter: Tsune-no-miya (倫宮)
- Eighth son: Kata-no-miya (嘉糯宮)
??: HigashiBōjō Kazuko? (東坊城和子)
- Fifth son: Imperial Prince Katsura-no-miya Takehito (桂宮盛仁親王)
- Third daughter: ?? (霊妙心院)
??: Tomikōji Teruko (富小路明子)
- Sixth daughter: Masa-no-miya (治宮)
- Seventh daughter: Imperial Princess Moriko (蓁子内親王)
- Eighth daughter: Tsuru-no-miya (媛宮)
- Ninth daughter: Katsu-no-miya (勝宮)

[edit] Life

It was originally expected that he, as a younger son of an imperial collateral branch the Kan'in house, would go into the priesthood at the Shuugoin Temple. However, in 1779, the sonless and dying emperor Go-Momozono hurriedly adopted him on his deathbed, even though he was not a shinnō (imperial prince).

Genealogically seen, he is the founder of the dynastical imperial branch currently on the throne. Kokaku is the lineal ancestor of all the succeeding emperors of Japan, up to present monarch, Akihito.

During Kōkaku's reign, the Imperial Court regained authority through proposing a relief program to the Bakufu at the time of the Great Tenmei Famine (1782-1788) and receiving information about negotiations with Russia over disputes in the north, and so on. The Bakufu gave his father the honorary title of Retired Emperor (Daijō Tennō, 太上天皇)

He was very talented, and had a zeal for scholarship, reviving festivals at the Iwashimizu and Kamono shrines, and working hard at reviving ceremonies surrounding the Imperial Court. In 1817, he abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Ninkō. Because his reign followed an era in which most emperors died young or were forced to abdicate, Kōkaku was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne past the age of 40 since the abdication of Emperor Ōgimachi in 1586.