Princess Sakahito


Princess Sakahito was a Japanese princess, born a daughter of Emperor Kōnin.
Her mother was reported to be Princess Inoue—a daughter of Emperor Shōmu, but there is another theory that her mother was Takano no Niigasa.

Life

Born to Emperor Kōnin and Princess Inoe in 754, her early life is not well recorded.
Emperor Kōnin came to the throne in 770, and two years later, in 772, Sakahito became the Saiō of Ise Shrine.
Her mother, Princess Inoe, was accused of witchcraft and deposed. Sakahito's brother,, who was the crown prince, was also deposed. Sakahito was unaffected by any changes, however it is believed she resigned out of grief.
Sakahito returned to Nara where her father may have planned to make her his heir. Sakahito, through her father, was of the Tenji line, the descendents of Emperor Tenji. Through her mother, she was of the Tenmu line. This would have unified the two lines. However this failed likely due to the controversy surrounding the reign of Empress Shōtoku, rendering the court nobles wary of enthroning another female emperor. When Prince Yamabe eventually came to the throne as Emperor Kanmu, he opted to take Sakahito as his wife.
Princess Sakahito was known as a beautiful and gentle woman, but also a very sexual woman. Emperor Kanmu however was supposedly indulgent of her behaviour, and never reproached her.
The Nihon Kōki writes of her that:
Sakahito gave the emperor one child, a daughter named.
Sakahito outlived her daughter however, who died in 817 at age 39.
In 829 at age 76, Princess Sakahito passed away.

Genealogy

Parents
  • Father: Emperor Kōnin
  • Mother: Princess Inoe
Husband and children