Emperor Ninmyō

Emperor Ninmyō was the 54th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninmyō's reign lasted from 833 to 850, during the Heian period.

Traditional narrative

Ninmyō was the second son of Emperor Saga and the Empress Tachibana no Kachiko. His personal name was Masara. After his death, he was given the title Ninmyō.
Ninmyō had nine Empresses, Imperial consorts, and concubines ; and the emperor had 24 Imperial sons and daughters.
Emperor Ninmyō is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the Imperial Household Agency designates, in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, as the location of Ninmyō's mausoleum.

Events of Ninmyō's life

Ninmyō ascended to the throne following the abdication of his uncle, Emperor Junna.

6 January 823 : Received the title of Crown Prince at the age of 14.
22 March 833 : In the 10th year of Emperor Junna's reign, the emperor abdicated; and the succession was received by his adopted son. Masara-shinnō was the natural son of Emperor Saga, and therefore would have been Junna's nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Ninmyo is said to have acceded to the throne.

Shortly after Ninmyo was enthroned, he designated an heir. He named Prince Tsunesada, a son of former Emperor Junna, as the crown prince.

835 : Kūkai died. This monk, scholar, poet, and artist had been the founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism.
838-839 : Diplomatic mission to Tang China headed by Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu.
842: Following a coup d'état called the Jōwa Incident, Tsunesada the crown prince was replaced with Ninmyō's first son, Prince Michiyasu whose mother was the Empress Fujiwara no Junshi, a daughter of sadaijin Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu. It is supposed that this was the result of political intrigue planned by Ninmyō and Fujiwara no Yoshifusa. The first of what would become a powerful line of Fujiwara regents, Yoshifusa had numerous family ties to the imperial court; he was Ninmyō's brother in law, the second son of sadaijin Fuyutsugu, and uncle to the new crown prince.

In his lifetime, Ninmyō could not have anticipated that his third son, Prince Tokiyasu, would eventually ascend the throne in 884 as Emperor Kōkō.

6 May 850 : Emperor Ninmyō died at the age of 41. He was sometimes posthumously referred to as "the Emperor of Fukakusa", because that was the name given to his tomb.

Eras of Ninmyō's reign

The years of Ninmyō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name.

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 Ninmyō's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:

Sadaijin, Fujiwara no Otsugu, 773–843.
Sadaijin, Minamoto no Tokiwa, 812–854.
Udaijin, Kiyohara no Natsuno, 782–837.
Udaijin, Fujiwara no Mimori, d. 840.
Udaijin, Minamoto no Tokiwa
Udaijin, Tachibana no Ujikimi, 783–847.
Udaijin, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, 804–872.
Udaijin, Fujiwara no Otsugu, 825–832
Naidaijin
Dainagon, Fujiwara no Otsugu, ?–825.

Consorts and children

Consort later Empress Dowager : Fujiwara no Junshi, Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu’s daughter

First Son: Imperial Prince Michiyasu later Emperor Montoku

Consort : Fujiwara no Takushi/Sawako, Fujiwara no Fusatsugu’s daughter

Second Son: Imperial Prince Muneyasu
Third Son: Imperial Prince Tokiyasu later Emperor Kōkō
Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Saneyasu
Imperial Princess Shinshi

Consort : Fujiwara no Teishi/Sadako, Fujiwara no Tadamori’s daughter

Eighth Son: Imperial Prince Nariyasu
Imperial Princess Shinshi
Imperial Princess Heishi

Court lady: Shigeno no Tsunako, Shigeno no Sadanushi’s daughter

fifth Son: Imperial Prince Motoyasu
Ninth Daughter: Imperial Princess Tokiko, 2nd Saiin in Kamo Shrine 831–833
Imperial Princess Jūshi

Consort : Tachibana no Kageko, Tachibana no Ujikimi’s daughter
Consort : Fujiwara Musuko
Court Attendant : Ki no Taneko, Ki no Natora’s daughter

Seventh Prince: Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu
Imperial Princess Shinshi/Saneko

Court Attendant : Mikuni-machi, daughter of Mikuni clan

Sada no Noboru, given the family name "Sada" from Emperor in 866

Court lady: Fujiwara no Katoko, Fujiwara no Fukutomaro's daughter

Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Kuniyasu

Court lady: Fujiwara no Warawako, Fujiwara no Michitō's daughter

Imperial Princess Shigeko

Court lady: Princess Takamune, Prince Okaya's daughter

Seventh/eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Hisako, 18th Saiō in Ise Shrine 833–850.

Court lady: daughter of Yamaguchi clan

Minamoto no Satoru

Nyoju: Kudaraō Toyofuku's daughter

Minamoto no Masaru, Udaijin 882–888
Minamoto no Hikaru, Udaijin 901–913

Court lady : Kudara no Yōkyō, Kudara no Kyōfuku's daughter

Twelfth Daughter: Imperial Princess Takaiko, 3rd Saiin in Kamo Shrine 833–850
Minamoto no Suzushi, Sangi 882–890
Minamoto no ''Itaru''