April 20, 660 – December 29, 721, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan,[Imperial Household Agency ( Kunaichō): 元明天皇 (43); retrieved August 22, 2013.] according to the traditional order of succession.[Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 56.] Genmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715.[Isaac Titsingh. (1834). ; Delmer Brown (1979). Gukanshō, p. 271; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. p. 140.] She established the capital at Heijō-kyō in 710, marking the beginning of the Nara period.
In the history of Japan, Genmei was the fourth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The three female monarchs before Genmei were Empress Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei, and Jitō. The four women sovereigns reigning after Genmei were Genshō, Kōken/Shōtoku, Meishō, and Go-Sakuramachi.
Traditional narrative
Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name (
imina)
[Brown, pp. 264; prior to Emperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors ( imina) were very long and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign.] was Abe
-hime.
[Brown, p. 271.]
Empress Genmei was the fourth daughter of Emperor Tenji;
Events of Genmei's life
Genmei became the consort (
nyōgo) of Crown Prince
Prince Kusakabe, who was the son of
Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō.
After the death of their son
Emperor Monmu in 707, she acceded to the throne.
[Ponsonby-Fane, p. 56.] At least one account suggests that she accepted the role of empress because Emperor Monmu felt his young son, her grandson, was still too young to withstand the pressures which attend becoming emperor.
[Titsingh, p. 63.]
-
July 18, 707 ( Keiun 4, 15th day of the 6th month): In the 11th year of Monmu -tennōs reign (文武天皇十一年), the emperor died; and the succession ( senso) was received by the emperor's mother, who held the throne in trust for her young grandson. Shortly thereafter, Empress Genmei is said to have acceded to the throne ( sokui).
[Brown, p. 271; Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Emperor Go-Toba, and Emperor Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Go-Murakami.]
-
707 ( Keiun 4): Deposits of copper were reported to have been found in Chichibu
[Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1915). The Imperial Family of Japan, p. x.] in Musashi Province in the region which includes modern day Tokyo;
-
708 ( Keiun 5):, The era name was about to be changed to mark the accession of Empress Genmei; but the choice of Wadō as the new nengō for this new reign became a way to mark the welcome discovery of copper.
-
May 5, 708 ( Wadō 1, 11th day of the 4th month): A sample of the newly discovered Musashi copper from was presented in Genmei's Court where it was formally acknowledged as "Japanese" copper;
[Japan Mint Museum: image of Wado Kaichin] and a mint was established in Ōmi Province.
-
708 ( Wadō 1, 3rd month): Fuijwara no Fuhito was named Minister of the Right ( Udaijin) . Isonokami no Maro was Minister of the Left ( Sadaijin).
[Titsingh, p. 64.]
-
709 ( Wadō 2, 3rd month): There was an uprising against governmental authority in Mutsu Province and in Echigo Province. Troops were promptly dispatched to subdue the revolt.
-
709 ( Wadō 2, 5th month): Ambassadors arrived from Silla, bringing an offer of tribute. He visited Fujiwara no Fuhito to prepare the way for further visits.
[Titsingh, p. 64; Aoki (1989: 149)Aoki, Kazuo et al. (1989). Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 12: Shoku Nihongi I, p. 149. (in Japanese).]
-
710 ( Wadō 3, 3rd month): Empress Genmei established her official residence in Nara.
[Varley, p. 140.] Empress Genmei's palace was named Nara-no-miya.
-
711 ( Wadō 4, 3rd month): The Kojiki was published in three volumes. This work presented a history of Japan from a mythological period of god-rulers up through the 28th day of the 1st month of the fifth year of Empress Suiko's reign (597).
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712 ( Wadō 5): The Mutsu Province was separated from Dewa Province.
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713 ( Wadō 6, 3rd month): Tanba Province was separated from Tango Province; Mimasaka Province was divided from Bizen Province; and Hyūga Province was divided from Ōsumi Province.
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713 ( Wadō 6): The compilation of Fudoki was begun with the imprimatur of an Imperial decree; and copies of the census of the provinces of Izumo Province, Harima Province, Hitachi Province and two other provinces still exist.
-
713 ( Wadō 6): The road which traverses Mino Province and Shinano Province was widened to accommodate travelers; and the road was widened in the Kiso District of modern Nagano Prefecture.
After Empress Genmei transferred the seat of her government to Nara, this mountain location remained the capital throughout the succeeding seven reigns.
In a sense, the years of the
Nara period developed into one of the more significant consequences of her comparatively short reign.
Genmei had initially planned to remain on the throne until her grandson might reach maturity. However, in 715, Genmei did abdicate in favor of Mommu's older sister who then became known as Empress Genshō. Genshō was eventually succeeded by her nephew, who then became known as Emperor Shōmu.
-
715 ( Wadō 8): Genmei abdicates in favor of her daughter, Empress Genshō.
[Titsingh, pp. 64–65.]
The Empress reigned for eight years.[Yoshida, Reiji. "Life in the Cloudy Imperial Fishbowl," Japan Times. March 27, 2007; retrieved August 22, 2013.] Empress Genmei, who was followed on the throne by her daughter, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.
After abdicating, she was known as Daijō-tennō; and she was only the second woman after Empress Jitō to claim this title. Genmei lived in retirement for seven years until her death at the age of 61 in December 721.
The actual site of Genmei's grave is known.[Nara City Tourist Association: Genmei's misasagi – image; Genmei's misasagi – map ] The "mountain shape" misasagi was named Nahoyama-no-higashi no misasagi.[Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 420.]
Poetry
The
Man'yōshū includes a poem written said to be composed by Empress Genmei in 708 (
Wadō 1) – and this anthology also includes a reply created by one of the ladies of her court::
- ::Listen to the sounds of the warriors' elbow-guards;
[ Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai. (1969). The Manyōshu, p. 81 n1; elbow guards were made of leather and were worn on the left arm to prevent the bow-string from springing back and hurting the elbow. The string struck the elbow-guard with a loud sound.]
- :::Our captain must be ranging the shields to drill the troops.
[ Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai, p. 81 n2; this poem probably alludes to the expeditionary force that was sent against the Emishi in northern Japan in 709 ( Wadō 2).]
- ::::: – Genmei -tennō
[ Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai, p. 81.]
- ::Reply:
- ::Be not concerned, O my Sovereign;
- :::Am I not here,
- ::I, whom the ancestral gods endowed with life,
- ::Next of kin to yourself?
- ::::: – Minabe- hime
Kugyō
Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-
Meiji period eras.
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 Genmei's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
Spouse and children
Empress Genmei was born to
Emperor Tenji and his concubine, Soga no Mei-no-iratsume, who held the rank of Hin (Beauty). She initially was named Princess Abe (阿閇皇女). She had an elder sister by the same mother:
Princess Minabe.
Princess Abe married Prince Kusakabe, her eldest half-sister's son, and had issues: two daughters among which the eldest would become Empress Gensho and one son who would ascend the throne as Emperor Monmu.
Eras of Genmei's reign
The years of Genmei's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or
nengō.
-
Keiun (704–708)
-
Wadō (708–715)
-
Reiki (715–717)
Ancestry
See also
-
Empress of Japan
-
Emperor of Japan
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List of emperors of Japan
-
Imperial cult
Notes
