Japanese Monarchs

A history of Japanese monarchs.

Legendary History

There is a partially legendary lineage of emperors going back to Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇) in 660 BC.

Yamato Kingship

In the 4th century, a centralized Yamato Kingship (ヤマト王権, Yamato Ooken) emerged that exercised command over most clans (氏, uji).

Power shifted from an absolute monarchy to an imperial court (朝廷, choutei) in the 6th century, and the capital was moved to Asuka (飛鳥). As a result, the Yamato (大和) period is being re-considered; scholars now refer to the ancient Kofun (古墳) period and the subsequent Asuka period.

Late in the Asuka period, kings adopted (and retroactively applied) the Chinese title tianzi (天子, son of heaven), although the pronunciation changed to tenshi.

Taika Reform

The Taika reforms (大化の改新, Taika no kaishin) were initiated by emperor Kootoku (孝徳). These documents also notably recognize the emperor as tennou (天皇), the modern imperial title.

Legal codes were overhauled, establishing the ritsuryou (律令) system based heavily on Confucian philosophy. Importantly, property law was reformed to encourage land reclamation and cultivation. This led to the establishment of feudal fiefs (荘園, shouen) that came to dominate all land ownership.

The capital was moved to Nara and the court was reorganized into imperial ministries.

The country was subdivided into provinces and counties with imperial appointments serving as governors.

In 794, emperor Kammu moved the capital again to Heian-kyou.

Kamakura Shogunate

Imperial power waned from the 9th century onward. The imperial court came to be dominated by the Fujiwara (藤原) clan.

The Hougen rebellion (保元の乱, Hougen no ran) in 1156 led to the empowerment of the Minamoto (源) and Taira (平) samurai clans. Just four years later, the latter consolidated power in the Heiji rebellion (平治の乱, Heiji no ran). The Taira clan then seized power in a coup in 1179, but the ensuing Gunpei War (源平合戦, Genpei kassen) ultimately led to a Minamoto conquest. (The name Genpei comes from the alternate readings of 源 and 平.) Upon victory, Minamoto no Yoritomo (源 頼朝) established the bakufu (幕府) regime and declared himself shogun.

Power shifted between the Minamoto, Houjou (北条), and Fujiwara clans. The Houjou in particular held the position of regent (執権, shikken), and through it were de facto heads of state during much of the Minamoto shogunate.

Regional power was held by shugo (守護) subordinate to the shogun.

The final shoguns were princes of the imperial family, demonstrating their rising influence. Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐) first launched the Genkou War (元弘の乱, Genkou no ran) in 1331. Within two years, this Kenmu Restoration (建武の新政, Kenmu no shinsei) had reasserted imperial power.

Ashikaga Shogunate

While Ashikaga Takauji (足利 尊氏) had defected from the previous bakufu to support the Kenmu Restoration, he and the samurai class who fought for emperor Go-Daigo were dissatisfied with his reign. In 1336, Takauji seized power and re-established the bakufu, with himself now as shogun.

To better secure control over the country, shugo were empowered and allowed to keep substantial portions of tax revenue. This led to their transformation into daimyou (大名).

Sengoku Period

The Sengoku (戦国) period is characterized by the collapse of the bakufu and nearly constant civil wars. Real power devolved to the daimyou.

Tokugawa Shogunate

Three daimyou--Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉), and Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康)--consolidated power and re-established a national bakufu. Although Oda was assassinated near the completion of their conquest, Toyotomi quickly completed it. He was the de facto head of state as of regent (関白, kampaku) and chancellor (太政大臣, daijou-daijin).

Toyotomi died in 1598, leaving his young son Hideyori to inherit. Through the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い, Sekigahara no tatakai) in 1600, Ieyasu seized power.

Empire of Japan

The emperors held significant political power during this era, though the military continued to be the effective regime.

Japan rapidly expanded across the Pacific. Officially, the empire included just:

• Japan

• Chousen

• Sakhalin (contested with Russia)

• Taiwan

• the Kwantung Leased Territory (leased under duress from China in perpetuity)

All other occupied and conquered territories were instead organized as puppet states. For details on the entire imperial complex, see the Empire of Japan

Modern Japan

The emperor remains the ceremonial head of state in Japan.

Dynasties

Tokugawa

Yamato

The House of Yamato, also known simply as the Imperial House of Japan, claims a lineage from Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇) in 660 BC.

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