Empress Meisho
Empress Meishō (明正天皇
Meishō Tennō) (
January 9,
1624 -
December 4,
1696) was the 109th
imperial ruler of
Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from
December 22,
1629 to
November 14,
1643. Her personal name was
Okiko (興子) and her title before ascending to the
Chrysanthemum Throne was
Onna Kazu no miya (女一宮).
She was the 2nd daughter of
Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Her mother was Tokugawa Kazuko, daughter of the 2nd
shōgun,
Tokugawa Hidetada. She had no children of her own.
Her name was derived by combining the names of two previous empresses,
Empress Gemmei (707-715) and her daughter
Empress Genshō (715-724).
In 1629, she became Empress after her father, Emperor Go-Mizunoo suddenly abdicated in the Purple Clothes Incident. By her enthronement, she became the first woman to occupy the throne since
Empress Shōtoku, who died in
770.During her reign, her father ruled in her name.In 1643, she abdicated in favor of her younger half-brother, who became
Emperor Go-Kōmyō.
Eras of her reign
*
Kan'ei
