Emperor Kōkō


Emperor Kōkō was the 58th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887.

Traditional narrative

Before the emperor's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his name was Tokiyasu Shinnō or Komatsu-tei. He would later be identified sometimes as "the Emperor of Komatsu". This resulted in the later Emperor Go-Komatsu adopting this name.
Tokiyasu Shinnō was the third son of Emperor Ninmyō. His mother was Fujiwara no Sawako.
Kōkō had four Imperial consorts and 41 Imperial sons and daughters.

Events of Kōkō's life

The first kampaku Fujiwara no Mototsune was influential in the process by which Kōkō became an emperor. At the time Emperor Yōzei was deposed, Prince Tokiyasu was already Governor of Hitachi and Chief Minister of Ceremonies.
According to Kitabatake Chikafusa's 14th-century account, Mototsune resolved the problem of succession by simply going to visit Tokiyasu-shinnō, where the kampaku addressed the prince as a sovereign and assigned imperial guards. The prince signaled his acceptance by going into the imperial palanquin, which then conducted him to the emperor's residence within the palace. Curiously, he was still wearing the robes of a prince when he decided to take this ride into an entirely unanticipated future.
  • February 4, 884 : In the 8th year of Emperor Yōzei's reign, the emperor was deposed; and scholars then construed that the succession was received by the third son of former Emperor Ninmyō, who was then age 55.
  • March 23, 884 : Emperor Kōkō is said to have acceded to the throne.
  • 885 : The era name was changed accordingly in 885.
During his reign, Kōkō revived many ancient court rituals and ceremonies, and one example is the imperial hawking excursion to Serikawa, which had been initiated in 796 by Emperor Kanmu. This ritual event was revived by Kōkō after a lapse of 50 years.
  • January 11, 886 : Kōkō traveled to Seri-gawa to hunt with falcons. He very much enjoyed this kind of hunting, and he often took time for this kind of activity.
  • September 17, 887 仁和三年八月二十六日 -->: Kōkō died at the age of 57.
The actual site of Kōkō's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine at Kyoto.
The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Kōkō's mausoleum. It is formally named Kaguragaoka no Higashi no misasagi.

Kugyō

Kugyō 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 Kōkō's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
  • Kampaku, Fujiwara no Mototsune , 836–891.
  • Daijō-daijin, Fujiwara no Mototsune.
  • Sadaijin, Minamoto no Tōru.
  • Udaijin, Minamoto no Masaru.
  • Naidaijin
  • Dainagon, Fujiwara no Yoshiyo
  • Dainagon, Fujiwara no Fuyuo

    Eras of Kōkō's reign

The years of Kōkō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.
  • Gangyō
  • ''Ninna''

    Consorts and children

  • Consort : Princess Hanshi later Toin-Kisaki, Imperial Prince Nakano's daughter
  • * First Son: Minamoto no Motonaga, die before Emperor Kōkō's succession
  • * Twelfth son: Imperial Prince Koretada
  • * Thirteenth Son: Imperial Prince Koresada
  • * Fifteenth Son: Imperial Prince Sadami later Emperor Uda
  • * Fourth Daughter: Imperial Princess Tadako, married to Emperor Seiwa
  • * Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess Kanshi
  • * Eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Yasuko, married to Emperor Yōzei
  • * Sixteenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Ishi, married to Emperor Daigo
  • Consort : Fujiwara no Kamiko, Fujiwara no Mototsune's daughter
  • Consort : Fujiwara no Genjiko, Fujiwara no Yamakage's daughter
  • Consort : Taira no Motoko/Tōshi, Taira no Yoshikaze's daughter
  • Court Attendant : Shigeno no Naoko
  • *Fourth Daughter: Imperial Princess Shigeko, 23rd Saiō in Ise Shrine 884–887
  • Court Attendant : Sanuki no Naganao's daughter
  • * Ninth Son: Minamoto no Motomi
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara Motoko
  • Court lady: Sugawara no Ruishi, Sugawara no Koreyoshi's daughter
  • Court lady: Princess Keishin, Prince Masami's daughter
  • *Seventh Daughter: Imperial Princess Bokushi, 8th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 882–887
  • Court lady: daughter of Tajihi clan
  • * Minamoto no Kanshi/Ayako
  • Court lady: A daughter of Fuse clan
  • * Twelfth Son: Shigemizu no Kiyozane, given the family name "Shigemizu" by the Emperor in 886
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Kadomune's daughter, later married Minamoto no Noboru
  • *Thirteenth Son : Minamoto no Koreshige, Minamoto no Noboru's son
*
  • * Second Son: Minamoto no Kaneyoshi
  • * Third son: Minamoto no Nazane
  • * Fourth Son: Minamoto no Atsuyuki
  • * Fifth Son: Minamoto no Seiyoshi
  • * Sixth Son: Minamoto no Chikayoshi
  • * Seventh son: Minamoto no Ototsune
  • * Eighth Son: Minamoto no Koretsune
  • * Tenth Son: Minamoto no Sadatsune
  • * Eleventh Son: Minamoto no Narikage
  • * Fourteenth Son: Minamoto no Kuninori
  • * Sixteenth Son: Minamoto no Kosen
  • * Seventeenth Son: Minamoto no Tomosada
  • * First Daughter: Minamoto no Osoko
  • * Second Daughter: Minamoto no Reishi
  • * Third Daughter: Minamoto no Onshi/Kusuko
  • *Sixth Daughter: Minamoto no Shushi
  • * Seventh Daughter: Minamoto no Renshi/Tsurako
  • * Ninth Daughter: Minamoto no Reishi
  • * Tenth Daughter: Minamoto no Saishi
  • * Eleventh Daughter: Minamoto no Kaishi
  • * Twelve Daughter: Minamoto no Mokushi
  • * Thirteenth Daughter: Minamoto no Koreko
  • * Fourteenth Daughter: Minamoto no Heishi
  • * Fifteenth Daughter: Minamoto no Shinshi
  • * Seventeenth Daughter: Minamoto no Shūshi
  • * Eighteenth Daughter: Minamoto no Mitsuko
  • * Minamoto no Washi, married to Emperor Daigo
  • * Minamoto no Kenshi
  • * Minamoto no Sayako
  • * Minamoto no Kaishi
  • * Minamoto no ''Zenshi''

    Poetry

Emperor Kōkō is well-remembered for his poetry, and one of his waka appeared in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu:

Ancestry