Emperor Saga


Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign lasted from 809 to 823.

Traditional narrative

Saga was the second son of Emperor Kanmu and Fujiwara no Otomuro. His personal name was Kamino. Saga was an "accomplished calligrapher" able to compose in Chinese who held the first imperial poetry competitions. According to legend, he was the first Japanese emperor to drink tea.
Saga is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the Imperial Household Agency designates, in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto, as the location of Saga's mausoleum.

Events of Saga's life

  • 806 Saga became the crown prince at age 21.
  • June 17, 809 : In the 4th year of Emperor Heizei's reign, he fell ill and abdicated; and the succession was received by Kanmu's second son Saga, the eldest son having become a Buddhist priest. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Saga is said to have acceded to the throne.
Soon after his enthronement, Saga himself took ill. At the time the retired Heizei had quarreled with his brother over the ideal location of the court, the latter preferring the Heian capital, while the former was convinced that a shift back to the Nara plain was necessary, and Heizei, exploiting Saga's weakened health, seized the opportunity to foment a rebellion, known historically as the Kusuko Incident; however, forces loyal to Emperor Saga, led by taishōgun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, quickly defeated the Heizei rebels which thus limited the adverse consequences which would have followed any broader conflict. This same Tamuramaro is remembered in Aomori's annual Nebuta Matsuri which feature a number of gigantic, specially-constructed, illuminated paper floats. These great lantern-structures are colorfully painted with mythical figures; and teams of men carry them through the streets as crowds shout encouragement. This early ninth century military leader is commemorated in this way because he is said to have ordered huge illuminated lanterns to be placed at the top of hills; and when the curious Emishi approached these bright lights to investigate, they were captured and subdued by Tamuramaro's men.
The years of Saga's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name.
  • Daidō
  • ''Kōnin''

    Legacy

In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the Gempeitōkitsu. One of these clans, the Minamoto clan are also known as Genji, and of these, the Saga Genji are descended from 52nd emperor Saga. Saga's son, Minamoto no Tōru, is thought to be an inspiration for the protagonist of the novel The Tale of Genji.
Emperor Saga played an important role as a stalwart supporter of the Buddhist monk Kūkai. The emperor helped Kūkai to establish the Shingon School of Buddhism by granting him Tō-ji Temple in the capital Heian-kyō.

Daikaku-ji

is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku in Kyoto. The site was originally a residence of the emperor, and later various emperor conducted their cloistered rule from here. The artificial lake of the temple, Ōsawa Pond, is one of the oldest Japanese garden ponds to survive from the Heian period.
The Saga Go-ryū school of ikebana has its headquarters in the temple and is named in his honour.

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 Saga's reign, this kugyō included:
  • Sadaijin
  • Udaijin, Fujiwara no Uchimaro, 806–812.
  • Udaijin, Fujiwara no Sonohito, 812–818.
  • Udaijin, Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu, 821–825.
  • Udaijin, Tachibana no Ujikimi.
  • Naidaijin
  • ''Dainagon''

    Consorts and children

Saga had 49 children with at least 30 different women. Many of the children received the surname Minamoto, thereby removing them from royal succession.
  • Empress: Tachibana no Kachiko, also known as Empress Danrin, Tachibana no Kiyotomo's daughter.
  • *Second Son: Imperial Prince Masara later Emperor Ninmyō
  • *Imperial Princess Seishi, married to Emperor Junna
  • *Imperial Princess Hideko
  • *Imperial Prince Hidera
  • *Imperial Princess Toshiko
  • *Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko
  • *Imperial Princess Shigeko
  • Hi : Imperial Princess Takatsu, Emperor Kanmu’s daughter
  • *Second Prince: Imperial Prince Nariyoshi
  • *Imperial Princess Nariko
  • Hi: Tajihi no Takako, Tajihi no Ujimori's daughter
  • Bunin: Fujiwara no Onatsu, Fujiwara no Uchimaro's daughter
  • Court lady : Kudara no Kyomyō, Kudara no Kyōshun's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Yoshihime
  • *Minamoto no Sadamu
  • *Minamoto no Wakahime
  • *Minamoto no Shizumu
  • Nyōgo: Kudara no Kimyō, Kudara no Shuntetsu's daughter
  • *Imperial Prince Motora
  • *Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Tadara
  • *Imperial Princess Motoko
  • Nyōgo: Ōhara no Kiyoko, Ōhara no Ietsugu's daughter
  • *Tenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Ninshi, 15th Saiō in Ise Shrine 809–823
  • Koui: Iidaka no Yakatoji, Iidaka Gakuashi
  • *Minamoto no Tokiwa
  • *Minamoto no Akira
  • Koui: Akishino no Koko, Akishino no Yasuhito's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Kiyoshi
  • Koui: Yamada no Chikako
  • *Minamoto no Hiraku
  • *Minamoto no Mituhime
  • Nyōgo: Princess Katano, Prince Yamaguchi's daughter
  • *Eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Uchiko, 1st Saiin in Kamo Shrine 810–831
  • Court lady: Takashina no Kawako, Takashina no Kiyoshina's daughter
  • *Imperial Princess Sōshi
  • Court lady: Hiroi no Otona's daughter
  • *Seventh Son: Minamoto no Makoto
  • Court lady: Fuse no Musashiko
  • *Minamoto no Sadahime
  • *Minamoto no Hashihime
  • Court lady: Kamitsukeno clan's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Hiromu
  • Court lady: Abe no Yanatsu's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Yutaka
  • Court lady: Kasa no Tsugiko, Kasa no Nakamori's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Ikeru
  • Court lady: Awata clan's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Yasushi
  • Court lady: Ōhara no Matako, Ōhara no Mamuro's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Tōru, Sadaijin
  • *Minamoto no Tsutomu
  • *Minamoto no Mitsuhime
  • Court lady: Ki clan's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Sarahime
  • Court lady: Kura no Kageko
  • *Minamoto no Kamihime
  • *Minamoto no Katahime
  • *Minamoto no Agahime
  • Court lady: Kannabi no Iseko
  • *Minamoto no Koehime
  • Court lady: Fun'ya no Fumiko, Fun'ya no Kugamaro's daughter
  • * Imperial Princess Junshi
  • * Imperial Princess Seishi, married to Prince Fujii
  • * Prince Atsushi
  • Court lady: Tanaka clan's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Sumu
  • Court lady: Koreyoshi no Sadamichi's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Masaru
  • Court lady: Ōnakatomi no Mineko
  • Court lady: Tachibana no Haruko
  • Court lady: Nagaoka no Okanari's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Sakashi
  • Court lady : Taima no Osadamaro's daughter
  • * Minamoto no Kiyohime, married to Fujiwara no Yoshifusa
  • *Minamoto no Matahime, Naishi-no-kami
  • Lady-in-waiting: Sugawara Kanshi
*
  • *Minamoto no Tsugu
  • *Minamoto no Yoshihime
  • *Minamoto no Toshihime

    Ancestry