List of emperors of Japan

has been ruled by emperors since antiquity. The sequence, order and dates of the early emperors are almost entirely based on the 8th-century Nihon Shoki, which was meant to retroactively legitimise the Imperial House by dating its foundation further back to the year 660 BC. Emperor Kinmei is often considered the first historical emperor, but the first Japanese ruler supported by historical evidence is actually Emperor Yūryaku, who is mentioned in the 5th-century Inariyama and Eta Funayama Swords. According to Chinese sources, the unification of Japan took place between the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
The terms Tennō, as well as Nihon, were not adopted until the late 7th century AD. In the nengō system which has been in use since the late 7th century, years are numbered using the Japanese era name and the number of years which have elapsed since the start of that nengō era.

Emperors of Japan

Ancient Japan

Classical Japan (540–1185)

[Asuka period] (538–710)

[Nara period] (710–794)

[Heian period] (794–1185)

Medieval Japan (1185–1603)

[Kamakura period] (1185–1333)

1336–1600 period

Courts period / Muromachi period / Azuchi–Momoyama period

	Portrait	Personal name		Reign and era names	Life details
		Takaharu 尊治	Emperor Go-Daigo 後醍醐天皇	1318–1339 Bunpō, Gen'ō, Genkō, Shōchū, Karyaku, Gentoku, Genkō, Kenmu, Engen	1288–1339 Son of Emperor Go-Uda; younger brother of Emperor Go-Nijō. From the Daikakuji line. Kamakura shogunate ended in the Genkō War. Brief imperial rule during the Kenmu Restoration. Opposed the Ashikaga shogunate. Became the first emperor of the Southern Court.'
		Noriyoshi 義良	Emperor Go-Murakami 後村上天皇	1339–1368 Engen, Kōkoku, Shōhei	1328–1368 Son of Emperor Go-Daigo. Second emperor of the Southern Court. Southern Court briefly took the Northern Court's capital, Kyoto, during the Kannō disturbance.'
		Yutanari 寛成	Emperor Chōkei 長慶天皇	1368–1383 Shōhei, Kentoku, Bunchū, Tenju, Kōwa	1343–1394 Son of Emperor Go-Murakami. Third emperor of the Southern Court. Abdicated.'
		Hironari 熙成	Emperor Go-Kameyama 後亀山天皇	1383–1392 Kōwa, Genchū	1347–1424	Kazuhito 量仁	Emperor Kōgon 光厳天皇	1331–1333 Gentoku, Shōkyō	1313–1364 Son of Emperor Go-Fushimi; nephew and adopted son of Emperor Hanazono. From the Jimyōin line. Made the first emperor of the Northern Court by the Kamakura shogunate during the Genkō War. Deposed by Emperor Go-Daigo of the Daikakuji line. Captured by the Southern Court during the Kannō disturbance.
'		Yutahito 豊仁	Emperor Kōmyō 光明天皇	1336–1348 Kenmu, Ryakuō, Kōei, Jōwa	1322–1380 Son of Emperor Go-Fushimi; younger brother of Emperor Kōgon. Made second emperor of the Northern Court by the Ashikaga shogunate. Abdicated. Captured by the Southern Court during the Kannō disturbance.
'		Okihito' 興仁	Emperor Sukō 崇光天皇	1348–1351 Jōwa, Kannō	1334–1398 Son of Emperor Kōgon; nephew of Emperor Kōmyō. Third emperor of the Northern Court. Abdicated. Captured by the Southern Court during the Kannō disturbance.
'		Iyahito 彌仁	Emperor Go-Kōgon 後光厳天皇	1352–1371 Bunna, Kōan, Jōji, Ōan	1338–1374 Son of Emperor Kōgon; younger brother of Emperor Sukō. Became the fourth Emperor of the Northern Court after the Kannō disturbance. Abdicated.
'		Ohito 緒仁	Emperor Go-En'yū 後円融天皇	1371–1382 Ōan, Eiwa, Kōryaku, Eitoku	1359–1393 Son of Emperor Go-Kōgon. Fifth emperor of the Northern Court. Abdicated in favor of Emperor Go-Komatsu.
'		Motohito 幹仁	Emperor Go-Komatsu 後小松天皇	1382–1392 Eitoku, Shitoku, Kakei, Kōō, Meitoku	1377–1433 Son of Emperor Go-En'yū. Sixth and last emperor of the Northern Court from 1382 until 1392. Became the legitimate emperor following Emperor Go-Kameyama's abdication. Agreed to alternate control of the throne by the Northern Court and the Southern Court. All emperors after him are from the Northern line.
100		Motohito 幹仁	Emperor Go-Komatsu 後小松天皇	1392–1412 Meitoku, Ōei	1377–1433 Son of Emperor Go-En'yū. Sixth and last emperor of the Northern Court from 1382 until 1392. Became the legitimate emperor following Emperor Go-Kameyama's abdication. Agreed to alternate control of the throne by the Northern Court and the Southern Court. All emperors after him are from the Northern line.
		Mihito 実仁	Emperor Shōkō 称光天皇	5 October 1412 – 30 August 1428 Son of Emperor Go-Komatsu.'
		Hikohito 彦仁	Emperor Go-Hanazono 後花園天皇	7 September 1428 – 21 August 1464 Great-grandson of Northern Emperor Sukō; third cousin of Emperor Shōkō. Abdicated. Traditional dates used.'
		Fusahito 成仁	Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado 後土御門天皇	21 August 1464 – 21 October 1500 Son of Emperor Go-Hanazono. Ōnin War led to the start of the Sengoku period.'
		Katsuhito 勝仁	Emperor Go-Kashiwabara 後柏原天皇	16 November 1500 – 18 May 1526 Son of Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. Imperial rule in the Ashikaga shogunate reached its lowest point in his reign.
		Tomohito 知仁	Emperor Go-Nara 後奈良天皇	9 June 1526 – 27 September 1557 Son of Emperor Go-Kashiwabara.
		Michihito 方仁	Emperor Ōgimachi 正親町天皇	17 November 1557 – 17 December 1586 Son of Emperor Go-Nara. Ashikaga shogunate overthrown by Oda Nobunaga. Abdicated.'
		Katahito 周仁	Emperor Go-Yōzei 後陽成天皇	17 December 1586 – 9 May 1611 Grandson of Emperor Ōgimachi. Tokugawa shogunate established. Sengoku period ended.'''

[Edo period] (1603–1868)

Modern Japan (since 1867)

Posthumously recognized individuals

This is a list of individuals who did not reign as emperor during their lifetime but were later recognized as Japanese emperors posthumously.

Portrait	Personal name	Posthumous name	Year recognized	Life details
	Prince Kusakabe 草壁皇子	Emperor Oka 岡宮天皇	759	662–689 Son of Emperor Tenmu; husband of Empress Genmei; father of Emperor Monmu and Empress Genshō. Made crown prince in 681; heir to Emperor Tenmu. Died prior to acceding the throne following Emperor Tenmu's death.
	Prince Toneri 舎人親王	Emperor Sudōjinkei 崇道尽敬皇帝	759	676–735 Son of Emperor Tenmu; half-brother of Prince Kusakabe; father of Emperor Junnin.
	Prince Shiki 志貴皇子	Emperor Kasuga 春日宮天皇	770	died 716 Son of Emperor Tenji; half-brother of Emperor Tenmu, Empress Jitō, Empress Genmei and Emperor Kōbun; father of Emperor Kōnin; half-uncle of Prince Kusakabe and Prince Toneri.
	Prince Sawara 早良親王	Emperor Sudō 崇道天皇	800	750–785 Son of Emperor Kōnin; younger brother of Emperor Kanmu. Made crown prince in 781. Implicated in the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu. Died on the way to exile.
	Prince Masahito 誠仁親王	Yōkōin 陽光院	Before 1611	1552–1586 Son of Emperor Emperor Ōgimachi; father of Emperor Go-Yōzei. Posthumously recognized as emperor by Emperor Go-Yōzei.
	Sukehito, Prince Kan'in 閑院宮典仁親王	Emperor Kyōkō 慶光天皇	1884	1733–1794 Grandson of Emperor Higashiyama; father of Emperor Kōkaku.