Emperor Go-Saga


Emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1242 through 1246.
This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Saga and go-, translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Saga". The Japanese word go has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Saga, the second", or as "Saga II".

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Kunihito-shinnō.
He was the second son of Emperor Tsuchimikado, and second cousin of his predecessor Emperor Shijō.
  • Empress: Saionji no Yoshi-ko Later Ōmiya-in, Saionji Saneuji’s daughter
  • *Fourth son: Imperial Prince Hisahito later Emperor Go-Fukakusa
  • *First daughter: Imperial Princess Osako
  • *Seventh son: Imperial Prince Tsunehito later Emperor Kameyama
  • *Eleventh son: Imperial Prince Masataka
  • *Thirteenth son: Imperial Prince Sadayoshi
  • *Princess
  • Consort: Imperial Princess Taishi later Shinsenmon’in, Emperor Go-Horikawa’s daughter
  • * Princess
  • Court Lady: Saionji Kimiko, Saionji Kintsune's daughter
  • * Son: Imperial Prince Priest jijo
  • Lady-in-waiting: Taira no Muneko, Taira no Munemoto's daughter
  • *Third son: Imperial Prince Munetaka
  • Handmaid?: Fujiwara Hiroko, Fujiwara Takatoki's daughter
  • *Eighth son: Imperial Prince Priest Kakujo
  • *Princess
  • *Sixth daughter: Imperial Princess Ekishi later Gojo’in
  • Court Lady: Fujiwara Fujiko, Shijo Takahira's daughter
  • * Son: Imperial Prince Priest Saijo, Sanjo Kinfusa's daughter
  • * Son: Imperial Prince Priest Chujo
  • * Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Shōjo, Ichijo Yoshiyasu's daughter
  • * Son: Imperial Prince Priest Enjo, Fujiwara Toshimori's daughter
  • * Second Daughter: Imperial Princess Yasuko, Fujiwara no Kanefusa’s daughter
  • *Son: Imperial Prince Priest Nin’e, Nakanoin Michikata's daughter
  • * Prince
  • Court Lady: Kujō Yoshihira's daughter
  • Court Lady: Minamoto no Yorimasa's granddaughter
  • * Priest Shojo
  • Court Lady: Fujiwara clan's descendant
  • * Second Son: Kōhō Ken'nichi

    Events of Go-Saga's life

He ruled from 21 February 1242, to 16 February 1246.
When Emperor Tsuchimikado moved to Tosa Province, he was raised by his mother's side of the family.
Because of the sudden death of Emperor Shijō at the age of 10, the question of succession arose. Because the expectations of the court nobility and the Bakufu conflicted, the issue was bitterly contested. Kujō Michiie and the court nobility supported Prince Tadanari, a son of Retired Emperor Juntoku, but the shikken Hōjō Yasutoki was opposed to the sons of Juntoku because of his involvement in the Jōkyū War. Michiie instead supported Tsuchimikado's son Prince Kunihito as a neutral figure for Emperor. During these negotiations, there was a vacancy on the throne of 11 days.
  • 11 February 1242 : In the 10th year of Shijō-tennō 's reign, the emperor died suddenly; and despite a dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession was received by the second son of former Emperor Tsuchimikado.
  • 19 April 1242 : Emperor Go-Saga is said to have acceded to the throne.
In 1242, Prince Kunihito became emperor. In 1246 he abdicated to his son, Emperor Go-Fukakusa, beginning his reign as cloistered emperor. In 1259, he compelled Emperor Go-Fukakusa to abdicate to his younger brother, Emperor Kameyama. Imperial Prince Munetaka became shōgun instead of the Hōjō regents. Henceforth, the shōguns of the Kamakura Bakufu came from the imperial house. Still, the Hōjō regents increased their control of the shogunate, setting up the system of rule by regents.
The descendants of his two sons contested the throne between them, forming into two lines, the Jimyōin-tō and the Daikakuji-tō. Their lines would eventually lead to the split between the Northern and Southern Courts.
In 1272, Go-Saga died.
Go-Saga's final resting place is designated as an Imperial mausoleum at Saga no minami no Misasagi at Tenryū-ji in Kyoto.

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. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted.
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 Go-Saga's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
The years of Go-saga's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.
  • Ninji
  • ''Kangen''

    Ancestry