Emperor Seiwa


Emperor Seiwa was the 56th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.

Traditional narrative

Seiwa was the fourth son of Emperor Montoku. His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Akirakeiko, also called the Somedono empress. Seiwa's mother was the daughter of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, who was regent and great minister of the council of state.
He was the younger half-brother of Imperial Prince Koretaka

Imina

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Korehito, the first member of the Imperial house to be personally named "-hito" 仁. One meaning of the character 仁 is the Confucian concept of ren. Later it has been a tradition to name the personal name of all male members of the Imperial family this way.
He was also known as emperor as Mizunoo-no-mikado or Minoo-tei.

Events of Seiwa's life

Originally under the guardianship of his maternal grandfather Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, he displaced Imperial Prince Koretaka as Crown Prince. Upon the death of his father in 858, Emperor Montoku, he became Emperor at the age of 9, but the real power was held by his grandfather, Yoshifusa.7 October 858 : In the 8th year of Montoku-tennōs reign, the emperor died; and the succession was received by his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Seiwa is said to have acceded to the throne.15 December 858 : The emperor's official announcement of his enthronement at age 9 was accompanied by the appointment of his grandfather as regent. This is the first time that this high honor has been accorded to a member of the Fujiwara family, and it is also the first example in Japan of the accession of an heir who is too young to be emperor. The proclamation of the beginning of Seiwa's reign was made at the Kotaijingu at Ise Province and at all the tombs of the imperial family.859 : All New Year's festivities were suspended because of the period of national mourning for the death of Emperor Montoku.859 : Construction began on the Iwashimizu Shrine near Heian-kyō. This shrine honors Hachiman, the Shinto war god.869 : Yōzei was born, and he was named Seiwa's heir in the following year.876 : In the 18th year of Seiwa-tennōs reign, the emperor ceded his throne to his five-year-old son, which meant that the young child received the succession. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Yōzei formally acceded to the throne.878 : Seiwa became a Buddhist priest. His new priestly name was Soshin.7 January 881 : Former-Emperor Seiwa died at age 30.

Mausoleum

The actual site of Seiwa's grave is known. The emperor is traditionally venerated at the misasagi memorial shrine in the Ukyō-ku ward of Kyoto. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Seiwa's mausoleum. It is formally named the Minooyama no Misasagi or Seiwa Tennō Ryō. From the site of his tomb the Emperor Seiwa is sometimes referred to as the Emperor Mizunoo. The kami of Emperor Seiwa is venerated at the Seiwatennō-sha near the mausoleum.

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 Seiwa's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:Sesshō, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, 804–872.Daijō-daijin, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa.Sadaijin, Minamoto no Makoto.Sadaijin, Minamoto no Tooru.Udaijin, Fujiwara no Yoshimi, 817–867.Udaijin, Fujiwara no Ujimune.Udaijin, Fujiwara no Mototsune, 836–891.NaidaijinDainagon, Fujiwara no Mototsune.

Eras of Seiwa's reign

The years of Seiwa's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.Ten'an

Consorts and children

  • Consort later Kōtaigō: Fujiwara no Takaiko later Nijo-kisaki, Fujiwara no Nagara's daughter
  • *First Son: Imperial Prince Sadaakira later Emperor Yōzei
  • *Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Sadayasu
  • *Third/Fifth daughter: Imperial Princess Atsuko, 7th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 877–880
  • Consort : Fujiwara no Tamiko, Fujiwara no Yoshimi's daughter
  • Consort : Taira no Kanshi
  • Consort : Princess Kashi
  • Consort : Minamoto no Sadako
  • Consort : Princess Ryūshi
  • Consort : Princess Kenshi
  • Consort : Princess Chūshi/Tadako, Emperor Kōkō's daughter
  • Consort : Fujiwara no Yoriko, Fujiwara no Mototsune's daughter
  • Consort : Fujiwara no Kazuko, Fujiwara no Mototsune's daughter
  • *Seventh Son: Imperial Prince Sadatoki
  • Consort : Minamoto no Takeko/Izuko, Minamoto no Yoshiari's daughter
  • Consort : Minamoto no Seishi, Emperor Montoku's daughter
  • Consort : Minamoto no Kenshi/Atsuko
  • Consort : Minamoto no Gishi/Yoshiko, Minamoto no Okimoto's daughter
  • Court Attendant : Ariwara no Fumiko, Ariwara no Yukihira's daughter
  • *Eighth Son: Imperial Prince Sadakazu
  • *Imperial Princess Kaneko
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Yoshichika's daughter
  • *Imperial Prince Sadahira
  • *Imperial Princess Shikiko, 21st Saiō 877–880
  • Court Attendant : Tachibana no Yasukage's daughter
  • *Imperial Prince Sadakata
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Nakamune's daughter
  • *third Son: Imperial Prince Sadamoto
  • Court Attendant : Prince Munesada's daughter
  • *Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Sadasumi – father of Minamoto no Tsunemoto, founder of the Seiwa Genji, from whom the Kamakura shogunate, Ashikaga shogunate and the Tokugawa shogunate descend.
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Sadamune's daughter
  • *Imperial Prince Sadayori
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Morofuji's daughter
  • *Imperial Prince Sadazane
  • Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Morokazu's daughter
  • *Imperial Princess Mōshi
  • Court Attendant : Saeki no Sanefusa's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Nagami
  • *Minamoto no Nagayori
  • Court Attendant : Ben-no-miyasundokoro, Ōe no Otondo's daughter
  • Court lady: Kamo no Mineo's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Naganori
  • *Minamoto no Saishi/Noriko
  • Court lady: Ōno no Takatori's daughter
  • *Minamoto no Nagafuchi