Emperor Go-Kashiwabara

Emperor Go-Kashiwabara (後柏原天皇 "Go-Kashiwabara-tennō") (November 19, 1464 - May 19, 1526) was the 104th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 16, 1500 to May 19, 1526. His personal name was Katsuhito (勝仁). His reign marked the nadir of Imperial authority during the Ashikaga shogunate. [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du Japon," pp. 364-372.]

Genealogy

He was the first son of Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. His mother was Niwata (Fujiwara) Asako (庭田（源）朝子), the daughter of Niwata Nagakata (庭田長賢).
*Lady-in-waiting: Kajūji? (Fujiwara) Fujiko (勧修寺（藤原）藤子)
**First daughter: Princess ?? (覚鎮女王)
**Second son: Imperial Prince Tomohito (知仁親王) (Emperor Go-Nara)
**Fifth son: Imperial Prince Kiyohiko (清彦親王)
*Lady-in-waiting: Niwata (Minamoto) Motoko (庭田（源）源子)
**Third son: Prince Kakudō (覚道法親王) (Buddhist Priest)
**Second daughter: Princess Kakuon (覚音女王)
**Sixth son: Imperial Prince ?? (寛恒親王)
*Handmaid (?): Takakura (Fujiwara) ?? (高倉（藤原）継子)
**Fourth son: ?? (道喜)

Events of Go-Kashiwabara's life

In 1500, he became Emperor upon the death of his father, the Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. However, because of the aftereffects of the Ōnin War, the Imperial Family was left so impoverished, that he was unable to perform the formal coronation ceremony. On the 3rd month, 22nd day of 1521, thanks to contributions from Honganji ?? (本願寺実如) and the Muromachi Bakufu, the Emperor was finally able to carry out this ceremony.

Because of the Ōnin War, the scattering of the Court Nobility, and the poverty of the Imperial Court, the Emperor's authority fell to a low point.

* "Bunki 1" (1501): The former Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimura was exiled; and he retired to Suō Province. The former shogun lived in exitle in the home of the daimyo of that han. He changed his name to Ashikaga Yoshitane. He had many of the world with him, and he summoned all the military forces of the western empire to come to his aid. Hosokawa Masamoto was made master of all the provinces which encircled the Kinai. [Titsingh, p. 364.]
* "Bunki 2", in the 7th month (1502): Minamoto Yoshitane was elevated to the 2nd tier of the 4th class "kuge" officials; and he expressed thanks to the emperor for that honor. In the same month, the name of Ashikaga Yoshitaka was changed to that of Yoshizumi.Titsingh, p. 365. ]
* "Bunki 3" (1503): There was a great drought in the summer of this year. [see above] ]

* "Eishō 1" (1504): A great famine. [see above] ]

* "Eishō 5", in the 1st month (1508): A new revolt in Miyako and the assassination of Hosokawa Masamoto encouraged former-Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane in believing that this would be a good opportunity to re-take Miyako. He assembled his troups and marched at their head towards the capital; and by the 6th month of "Eishō" 5, he was once more in command of the streets of Miyako. Starting in 1508, Yoshitane is known as the Muromachi period's 10th shogun [Titsingh, p. 367. ]
* "Daiei 5", on the 1st day of the 1st month (1525): All ceremonies in the court were suspended because of the lack of funds to support them.Titsingh, p. 372.]
* "Daiei 6", on the 7th day of the 4th month (1525): Go-Kashiwabara died at the age of 63 years. He had reigned 26 years; that is, his reign lasted 3 years in the nengō "Bunki," 17 years in the nengō "Eishō," and 6 years in the nengo "Daiei." The emperor was found dead in his archives. [see above] ]

Kugyō

"Kugyō" (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor 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-Kashiwabara's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan included:
* "Sadaijin"
* "Udaijin"
* "Nadaijin"
* "Dainagon"

Eras of Go-Kashiwabara's reign

The years of Go-Kashiwabara's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or "nengō".
* "Meiō" (1492-1501)
* "Bunki" (1501-1504)
* "Eishō" (1504-1521)
* " Daiei" (1521-1528)

References

* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652] . "Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth." Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ...Click link for digitized, full-text version of this book (in French)]