Emperor Rokujō

Emperor Rokujō (六条天皇 "Rokujō-tennō") (December 28, 1164 – August 23, 1176) was the 79th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168. [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du Japon," pp. 194-195; Brown, Delmer "et al." (1979). "Gukanshō," pp. 329-330; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki." p. 212.]

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his "imina") [Brown, pp. 264. [Up until the time of Emperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors (their "imina") were very long and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign.] ] was Nobuhito"-shinnō". [Brown, p. 329; Varley, p. 212.] He was as Yoshihito- or Toshihito"-shinnō". [Titsingh, p. 194.]

He was the son of Emperor Nijō. He left no children.

Events of Rokujō's life

He was made Crown Prince before his first birthday, and was enthroned at the age of one.

* "Eiman 1" (1165): The infant son of Emperor Nijō was named heir apparent (and this Crown Prince will soon become Emperor Rokujō.Kitagawa, H. (1975). "The Tale of the Heike," p.783.]
* "Eiman 1", on the 25th day of the 6th month (1165): In the 7th year of Nijō"-tennō"'s reign (桓武天皇7年), the emperor fell so very ill that he abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by a his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Rokujō is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). [Titsingh, p. 194; Brown, p. 329; Varley, p. 44. [A distinct act of "senso" is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have "senso" and "sokui" in the same year until the reign of Go-Murakami.] ]
* "Eiman 1", 27th-28th day of the 7th month (1165): The former- Emperor Nijō died at age 22. [Brown, p. 328; Kitagawa, p.783.]

He was pressured by the Taira clan to abdicate in favor of his uncle, who became Emperor Takakura.

* "Nin'an 3", on the 19th day of the 2nd month (1168): In the 3rd year of Rokujō"-tennō"'s reign (六条天皇3年), the emperor was deposed by his grandfather, and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his cousin, the third son of the retired-Emperor Go-Shirakawa. [Brown, p. 330; Varley, p. 44. [A distinct act of "senso" is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have "senso" and "sokui" in the same year until the reign of Go-Murakami.] ]
* "Nin'an 3", on the 19th day of the 2nd month (1168): Emperor Takakura is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’), and he is proclaimed emperor. [Titsingh, p. 195; Varley, p. 44.]
* "Nin'an 3", 20th day of the 3rd month (1168): Takakura succeeds Rokujo on the Chrysanthemum Throne. [see above] ]

Rokujō died at the age of eleven. Because of his youth, he had neither consorts nor children. Government affairs were run by his grandfather, Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa as cloistered emperor.

"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.

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 Rokujō's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan" included:
* "Sesshō", Konoe Motozane, 1143-1166.Brown, p. 329.]
* "Sesshō", Matsu Motofusa, 1144-1230. [see above] ]
* "Daijō-daijin", Fujiwara Koremichi 1093-1165. [see above] ]
* "Daijō-daijin", Taira Kiyomori, 1118-1181. [see above] ]
* "Sadaijin", Matsu Motofusa. [see above] ]
* "Sadaijin", Ōimikado Tsunemune, 1119-1189.Brown, p. 330.]
* "Udaijin", Kujō Kanezane, 1149-1207. [see above] ]
* "Nadaijin", Fujiwara Tadamasa. [see above] ]
* "Dainagon"

Eras of Emperor Rokujō's reign

The years of Rokujō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or "nengō". [Titsingh, p. 194-195; Brown, p. 328.]
* "Eiman" (1165-1166)
* "Nin'an" (1166-1169)

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). [ Jien, 1221] , "Gukanshō (The Future and the Past, a translation and study of the Gukanshō, an interpretative history of Japan written in 1219)." Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03460-0
* Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida, eds. (1975). "The Tale of the Heike." Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. ISBN 0-86008-128-1
* 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 copy of this book (in French)]
* Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). [ Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359] , "Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley)." New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04940-4