Before he ascended theChrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina)[4] was Hiroakira-shinnō.[5] He was also known as Yutaakira-shinnō (寛明親王).[6]
Hiroakira-shinnō was the 11th son ofEmperor Daigo and Empress Consort Onshi, a daughter of the regent and great minister of the council of state,Fujiwara no Mototsune.[7]
Suzaku had two Empresses or consorts and one Imperial daughter.[8]
Suzaku's older brother died unexpectedly young, as did his brother's son. These untimely deaths opened the way for Suzaku to accede to the throne.
16 October 930 (Enchō 8, 22nd day of the 9th month): In the 33rd year of the reign of Daigo-tennō (醍醐天皇三十三年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (thesenso) was received by his eleventh son, Hiroakira-shinnō[5] (also known as Yutaakira-shinnō).[9]
14 December 930 (Enchō 8, 22nd day of the 11th month): Emperor Suzaku, who was only eight years old, acceded to the throne (thesokui).[5]
16 May 931 (Enchō 9, 26th day of the 4th month): The era name was changed to mark the beginning of the new emperor's reign.[10]
5 August 931 (Jōhei 1, 19th day of the 7th month): The former-Emperor Uda (867–931) died at the age of 65.[11]
6 September 932 (Jōhei 2, 4th day of the 8th month): Theudaijin (Minister of the Right)Fujiwara no Sadakata died at the age of 65.[12]
933 (Jōhei 3, 12th month): Ten of the chief dignitaries of the empire went falcon-hunting together inOwari Province. Each of them was magnificent in his formal hunting attire.[12]
935 (Jōhei 5): The Great Fundamental Central Hall (kompon chūdō) onMt. Hiei burned down.[8]
941 (Tengyō 4):Fujiwara no Sumitomo staged a rebellion, having made a secret agreement with Taira no Masakado, but his army was defeated by Tachibana Tōyasu.[8]
23 May 946 (Tengyō 9, 20th day of the 4th month): Suzakuabdicates, having ruled for 16 years.[15] The emperor was succeeded by his younger brother, who would becomeEmperor Murakami.
952 (Tenryaku 6): Suzaku took ordination as a Buddhist monk atNinna-ji.
6 September 952 (Tenryaku 6, 15th day of the 8th month): Suzaku died at the age of 30.[15]
The actual site of Suzaku'sgrave is known.[1] This emperor is traditionally venerated at amemorialShintoshrine (misasagi) at Kyoto.
Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of theEmperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.[17]
This elite group generally included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background had brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Suzaku's reign, this apex of theDaijō-kan included:
^Brown, p. 264; beforeEmperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors were very long, and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign.
