Empresses of Japan

Empress of Japan or Japanese Empress means female imperial ruler (女性天皇, josei tennō ^?). The term can also mean an empress consort (皇后, kōgō^?) . The current empress consort is Empress Masako as of May 1, 2019.

History

Although since the Constitution of 1889, the imperial throne of Japan has been reserved exclusively for men, previously women could ascend to it, although they had to marry men of the imperial house or remain single. Between 554 and 1770, Japan had five reigning Empresses:

1. Empress Suiko: Daughter of Emperor Kinmei, born in 554. His name was Toyo-mike-kashikiya-hime. In 576 he contracted nipcias with his half-brother Emperor Bidatsu, with whom he had no children and of whom he sent in 585. In 592, when his other half-brother Emperor Sushun was killed, he ascended to the imperial throne with the name of Suiko Tennō, although he left the government in the hands of his nephew Tamura no Oji and supported his efforts to establish Buddhism in the country. His maternal family, the Soga clan, also enjoyed unlimited influence during his long reign. He died in 628 and was succeeded by Tamura no Oji, who reigned with the name of Jomei Tenno.
2. Empress Kōgyoku / Empress Saimei: Daughter of Prince Chinu no Oji and great father of Emperor Yōmei, born in 594. His name was Ame-toyo-takara-ikashi-hitarashi-hime. He married his uncle Emperor Jomei Tennō, whose death (641) he ascended to the imperial throne, with the name of Kogyoku Tennō. He reigned under the influence of the powerful ministers Soga, Emishi and Iruka. When they were killed, he abducted his brother Kotoku Tennō (644). At his death (655), he returned to the throne, with the name of Saimei Tennō. He died in Asakura in 661, when he projected an expedition to Korea. Her son Tenchi Tennō happened.
3. Empress Kōken / Empress Shotoku: Daughter of Emperor Shōmu, born in 716. His name was Abe-naishinno. I didn't marry. He ascended to the throne when his father died (748), with the name of Koken Tennō. He was a Buddhist fervent and during his reign Nara Buddha was developed. He left the government in the hands of his ministers Fujiwara Toyonari and Fujiwara Nakamaro. The latter persuaded her to abdicate in 759 for her cousin Emperor Junnin. He fell under the influence of Bonzo Dokyo, who quickly entered into conflict with Fujiwara Nakamaro, and a civil war came over, at the end of which (764) Junnin was overthrown and exiled to the island of Awaji. He returned to the throne again with the name of Shotoku Tennō and reigned until his death in 769. Dokyo aspired to be named his heir, but the Usa Oracle rejected such a possibility and the Empress was succeeded by his old cousin Konin Tennō.
4. Empress Meisho: Daughter of Emperor Go-Mizunoo and maternal niece of Shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu, born in 1624. His name was Okiko. He ascended to the throne with the name of Myosho Tennō when he was still very young, for the abdication of his father (1630), and during his short reign the effective power remained in the hands of his uncle the Shōgun. In 1643, he abducted his brother Emperor Go-Kōmyō, born in 1633. He did not marry and lived in retirement for the rest of his days. He died in 1696, during the reign of his nephew Emperor Higashiyama.
5. Empress Go-Sakuramachi: Daughter of Emperor Sakuramachi, born in 1741. His name was Toshiko. He ascended to the throne at the death of his brother Emperor Momozono (1762), with the name of Go-Sakuramachi Tenno. He did not marry, and during his brief reign the effective power was in the hands of the Shōgun Tokugawa Ieharu. In 1770, the Emperor Go-Mozono abdicated his nephew. He lived in retirement for the rest of his days. He died in 1814, during the reign of Emperor Kōkaku. It was the last Empress of Japan.