Emperor Go-Fushimi

Emperor Go-Fushimi (後伏見天皇 "Go-Fushimi-tennō") (April 5, 1288 – May 17, 1336) was the 93rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1298 to 1301. [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du Japon," pp. 274-275; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki." pp. 238-239.]

This 13th century sovereign was named after his father, Emperor Fushimi and "go-" (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Fushimi". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Fushimi, the second," or as "Fushimi II."

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his "imina") was nihongo| Tanehito"-shinnō" |胤仁親王. [Titsingh, p. 274; Varley, p. 238.]

He was the eldest son of the 92nd Emperor Emperor Fushimi. They belonged to the "Jimyōin-tō" branch of the Imperial Family.
*Court Lady: Saionji (Fujiwara) ?? (西園寺（藤原）寧子)
**First daughter: Imperial Princess ?? (珣子内親王)
**Third son: Imperial Prince Kazuhito (1st Northern Pretender Emperor Kōgon
**Fifth son: Imperial Prince ??? (景仁親王)
**Second daughter: Imperial Princess ?? (兼子内親王)
**Ninth son: Imperial Prince Yutahito (豊仁親王) (2nd Northern Pretender Emperor Kōmyō

Events of Go-Fushimi's life

Tanehito-shinnō was named Crown Prince or heir in 1289.

* "Einin 6", in the 7th month (1298): In the 11th year of Fushimi"-tennō"'s reign (伏見天皇11年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his son. [Titsingh, p. 274; 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.] ]
* "Einin 7" 1299): Emperor Go-Fushimi is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’) and the "nengō" was changed to "Shōan" to mark the beginning of a new emperor's reign. [Titsingh, p. 274; Varley, p. 44, 238.]

*1301 - Abdicates due to rallying of the Daikakuji Line
*1308 - Younger brother becomes Emperor Hanazono, retired emperor
*1336 - DiedFushimi acted as cloistered emperor for a period, but after a while, from 1313 to 1318, Go-Fushimi acted in that function.

During Hanazono's reign, negotiations between the Bakufu and the two lines resulted in an agreement to alternate the throne between the two lines every 10 years (the Bumpō Agreement). This agreement did not last long, being broken by Emperor Go-Daigo.

Go-Fushimi was the author of a famous plea to the god of the Kamo Shrine for help in gaining the throne for his son. This plea was ultimately successful, but it was not until thirty-three years after his abdication that Go-Fushimi's son, Emperor Kōgon became emperor. Kōgon was the first of northern court emperors backed by the Muromachi Bakufu.

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 Fo-Fushimi's reign, this apex of the "Daijō-kan included:
* "Sadaijin"
* "Udaijin"
* "Nadaijin"
* "Dainagon"

Eras of Go-Fushimi's reign

The years of Go-Fushimi's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or "nengō". [Titsingh, p. 274.]
* "Einin" (1293-1299)
* "Shōan" (1299-1302)

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 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