| Emperor Go-Yōzei 後陽成天皇 | |||||
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| Emperor of Japan | |||||
| Reign | December 17, 1586 – May 9, 1611 | ||||
| Enthronement | January 4, 1587 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ōgimachi | ||||
| Successor | Go-Mizunoo | ||||
| Regent | Toyotomi Hideyoshi | ||||
| Shōguns | See list | ||||
| Born | Katahito (周仁) or Kazuhito (和仁) December 31, 1571 Azuchi–Momoyama period | ||||
| Died | September 25, 1617(1617-09-25) (aged 45) Heian Palace,Kyoto,Tokugawa shogunate | ||||
| Burial | Fukakusa no kita no Misasagi (深草北陵) Kyoto | ||||
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| House | Imperial House of Japan | ||||
| Father | Prince Masahito | ||||
| Mother | Fujiwara no (Kajūji)Haruko | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Emperor Go-Yōzei (後陽成天皇,Go-Yōzei-tennō;Japanese pronunciation:[ɡo̞jo̞ːze̞ːtẽ̞nːo̞ː]) December 31, 1571 – September 25, 1617 was the 107thEmperor of Japan,[1] according to the traditionalorder of succession.[2]: 111 Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years 1586 through to hisabdication in 1611,[3] corresponding to the transition between theAzuchi–Momoyama period and theEdo period.
This 16th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-centuryEmperor Yōzei, andgo- (後), translates aslater, and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Yōzei". The Japanese wordgo has also been translated to meanthe second one, and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Yōzei, the second", or as "Yōzei II".
Before Go-Yōzei's ascension to theChrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was Katahito (周仁) or Kazuhito (和仁).[2]: 9 [3] He was the eldest son ofPrince Masahito (誠仁親王,Masahito-shinnō; 1552–1586),[2]: 424 also known as Prince Sanehito and posthumously namedYōkwōindaijō-tennō, who was the eldest son ofEmperor Ōgimachi.[2]: 10 His mother was a lady-in-waiting.
Go-Yōzei's Imperial family lived with him in theDairi of theHeian Palace. The family included at least 35 children.[2]: 113
Consort and issue(s):
Prince Katahito became emperor when his grandfather abdicated. The succession (senso) was considered to have been received by the new monarch; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Yōzei is said to have acceded (sokui).[3] A distinct act ofsenso was unrecognized prior toEmperor Tenji and all sovereigns exceptJitō,Yōzei,Go-Toba, andFushimi havesenso andsokui in the same year until the reign ofEmperor Go-Murakami.[6] The events during his lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years of Go-Yōzei's reign correspond with the start of theTokugawa shogunate under the leadership ofTokugawa Ieyasu andTokugawa Hidetada.
On 31 December 1571, the Imperial prince who became known by the posthumous name of Go-Yōzei-tennō was born.[7] On 5 November 1586, Prince Katahito was given the titleCrown Prince and heir[3] and within a month (Tenshō 14, on the 7th day of the 11th month), Ogimachi gave the reins of government to his grandson, who would become Emperor Go-Yōzei. There had been no such Imperial transition sinceEmperor Go-Hanazono abdicated in 1464 (Kanshō 5). The dearth of abdications is attributable to the disturbed state of the country and because there was neither any dwelling for an ex-emperor nor excess funds in the treasury to support him.[8][3][7] In 1586 (Tenshō 14, in the 12th month), a marriage withLady Asahi, the youngest sister ofToyotomi Hideyoshi, andTokugawa Ieyasu, was arranged and thekampaku, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was nominated to beDaijō-daijin (Chancellor of the Realm).[3] In 1588 (Tenshō 16, 7th month), Emperor Go-Yōzei and his father visit Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mansion in Kyoto. This was the first time that an emperor appeared in public since 1521.[2]: 111 Hideyoshi led an army to the Kantō where he lay siege toOdawara Castle in 1588 (Tenshō 18, 7th month). When the fortress fell,Hōjō Ujimasa died and his brother,Hōjō Ujinao submitted to Hideyoshi's power, thus ending a period of serial internal warfare which had continued uninterrupted since theŌnin War (1467–1477).[3]
TheKeichō expedition toKorea was en route to invadeChina in 1592 (Keichō 1).[2]: 111–112 Toyotomi Hideyoshi, theTaikō died in hisFushimi Castle at the age of 63 on 18 September 1598 (Keichō 3, on the 18th day of the 8th month).[3] TheBattle of Sekigahara took place in 1600. On 21 October (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month), theTokugawa clan and its allies decisively vanquished all opposition.[3] Two years later (Keichō 8), theKyōto Daibutsu was destroyed by fire.Tokugawa Ieyasu becameshōgun on 24 March 1603 (Keichō 8), which effectively began what was later known as theEdobakufu.Toyotomi Hideyori was elevated toNaidaijin in the Imperial court.[3] In 1605 (Keichō 10, 15th day of the 12th month), a new volcanic island, Hachijōko-jima, arose from the sea at the side of Hachijō Island (八丈島 Hachijō-jima) in theIzu Islands (伊豆諸島, Izu-shotō) which stretch south and east from theIzu Peninsula.[3] In 1606 (Keichō 11), construction began onEdo Castle and onSunpu Castle the following year (Keichō 12).[3] 1609 (Keichō 14) saw theInvasion of Ryukyu byShimazudaimyō ofSatsuma.[2][3] During the following year (Keichō 15), reconstruction of the Daibutsu hall inKyōto began andToyotomi Hideyori came to Kyoto to visit the former-ShogunTokugawa Ieyasu. On 20 May 1610 (Keichō 15, the 27th day of the 3rd month), the emperor announces his intention to resign in favor of his son Masahito.[3][9] Go-Yōzei abdicated on 9 May 1611 and his son Prince Masahito received the succession (thesenso). Shortly thereafter,Go-Mizunoo formally ascended to the throne (thesokui).[3][7]
Go-Yōzei's reign corresponds to the rule ofToyotomi Hideyoshi and the beginning of theEdoBakufu. He was the sovereign who confirmed the legitimacy of their accession to power; and this period allowed the Imperial Family to recover a small portion of its diminished powers. This Emperor gaveToyotomi Hideyoshi the rank ofTaikō, originally a title given to the father of the emperor's chief advisor (Kampaku), or a retiredKampaku, which was essential to increase his status and effectively stabilize his power.[citation needed]
WhenTokugawa Ieyasu was given the title ofSei-i Taishōgun, the future of any anticipatedTokugawa shogunate was by no means assured, nor was his relationship to the emperor at all settled. He gradually began to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Court. The right to grant ranks of court nobility and change the era became a concern of thebakufu. However, the Imperial Court's poverty during theWarring States Era seemed likely to become a thing of the past, as thebakufu provided steadily for its financial needs.[citation needed]
Go-Yōzei did abdicate in favor of his third son; but he wanted to be succeeded by his younger brother, Imperial Prince Hachijō-no-miya Toshihito (八条宮智仁親王) (first of the Hachijō-no-miya line, later calledKatsura-no-miya), who built theKatsura Imperial Villa.[citation needed]
Go-Yōzei loved literature and art. He published theKobun Kokyo and part ofNihon Shoki with movable type dedicated to the emperor byToyotomi Hideyoshi.[citation needed]
After abdication, Go-Yōzei lived for six years in theSentō Imperial Palace; and thereafter, it became the usual place to which abdicated emperors would retire.[2]: 113 The name of this palace and its gardens wasSentō-goshō; and emperors who had abdicated were sometimes calledSentō-goshō. Go-Yōzei died on 25 September 1617.[7] Thekami of Emperor Go-Yōzei is enshrined with other emperors at the imperial mausoleum (misasagi) calledFukakusa no kita no misasagi (深草北陵) inFushimi-ku, Kyoto.[2]: 423
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. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted.
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-Hanazono's reign, this apex of theDaijō-kan included:
The years of Go-Yōzei's reign are more specifically identified by more than oneera name ornengō:Tenshō (1573–1592),Bunroku (1592–1596), andKeichō (1596–1615).[3]
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| Preceded by | Emperor of Japan: Go-Yōzei 1586–1611 | Succeeded by |
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| Yamato |
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| Japan |
Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are inCE / AD *Imperial Consort andRegentEmpress Jingū is not traditionally listed. | ||||||||
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