Emperor Kokaku
Emperor Kōkaku (光格天皇
Kōkaku Tennō) (
September 23,
1771 –
December 11,
1840) was the 119th
imperial ruler of
Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from
December 16,
1779 until
May 7,
1817. His name was originally
Morohito (師仁), but later was changed to
Tomohito (兼仁). His title was Sachi-no-miya (祐宮).
He was the sixth son of Prince
Kan'in-no-miya Sukehito (閑院宮典仁), grandson of
Emperor Higashiyama. On the day before his enthronement, the dying Go-Momozono, his second cousin, formally adopted him as his son.
*Empress (
chūgū): Imperial Princess ?? (欣子内親王), daughter of
Emperor Go-Momozono (Emperor's chief wife
Yoshiko (?, 欣子内親王), also known as Shinkiyowa-in (?, 新清'院))
**Third son: Imperial Prince Atsuhito ?? (温仁親王)
**Seventh son: Imperial Prince ?hito (悦仁親王)
*Lady-in-waiting: Hamuro Yoriko (葉室頼子)
**First son: Imperial Prince ?? (礼仁親王)
**First daughter: ?? (能布宮)
**Second son: ?? (俊宮)
*Lady-in-waiting: ?? (勧修寺女'子)
**Fourth son: Imperial Prince Ayahito (恵仁親王) (
Emperor Ninkō)
**Second daughter: ?? (多祉宮)
**Fourth daughter: ?? (成宮)
*Lady-in-waiting: ?? (高野正子)
**Sixth son: ?? (猗宮)
*Lady-in-waiting: Anekōji ?? (姉小路聡子)
**Fifth daughter: Rin-no-miya (倫宮)
**Eighth son: ?? (嘉糯宮)
*??: ?? (東坊城'子)
**Fifth son: Imperial Prince
Katsura-no-miya Morihito (桂宮盛仁親王)
**Third daughter: ?? (霊妙心院宮)
*??: ?? (富小路明子)
**Sixth daughter: ?? (治宮)
**Seventh daughter: Imperial Princess ?? ("子内親王)
**Eighth daughter: ?? (媛宮)
**Ninth daughter: Katsu-no-miya (勝宮)
It was originally expected that he, as a younger son of an imperial collateral branch the
Kan'in house, would go into the priesthood at the Shuugoin Temple. However, in 1779, the sonless and dying emperor Go-Momozono hurriedly adopted him on his deathbed, even though he was not a
shinnō (imperial prince).
Genealogically seen, he is the founder of the dynastical imperial branch currently on the throne. Kokaku is the lineal ancestor of all the succeeding
emperors of Japan, up to present monarch,
Akihito.
During Kōkaku's reign, the Imperial Court regained authority through proposing a relief program to the
Bakufu at the time of the Great
Tenmei Famine (1782-1788) and receiving information about negotiations with
Russia over disputes in the north, and so on. The Bakufu gave his father the honorary title of Retired Emperor (Daijō Tennō, 太上天皇)
He was very talented, and had a zeal for scholarship, reviving festivals at the
Iwashimizu and Kamono shrines, and working hard at reviving ceremonies surrounding the Imperial Court. In
1817, he abdicated in favor of his son,
Emperor Ninkō. Because his reign followed an era in which most emperors died young or were forced to abdicate, Kōkaku was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne past the age of 40 since the abdication of
Emperor Ōgimachi in
1586.
Eras of his Reign
*
An'ei*
Tenmei*
Kansei*
Kyōwa*
Bunka*
Imperial Household of Japan
