Emperor Reigen

Reigen Tennō (霊元天皇), also known as Reigen (July 9, 1654 - September 24, 1732) was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional Japanese order of succession.

His term of office lasted from March 5, 1663 following the abdication of Emperor Go-Sai Tennō, until May 2, 1687, when he made the decision to abdicate in favor of the fifth of his sons, Higashiyama Tennō.

Prior to his appointment as emperor, his personal name was Satohito (識仁) and his pre-ascension title was Ate-no-miya (高貴宮).

Emperor Reigen's Family

Reigen was the sixteenth son of the 108th2nd emperor of Japan, Go-Mizunoo Tennō.

His mother was the daughter of the Minister of the Sonomotooto Center (内大臣園基音), Sono Kuniko (新広義門院国子).

On the other hand, Reigen's imperial family lived with him in the Dairi of the Heian Palace.

This family included at least 13 sons and 14 daughters, but from his union with the Empress Consort, Takatsukasa Fusako only had a single daughter.

The rest of her children were born to the empress's ladies-in-waiting, some of her secondary consorts and to other women belonging to the court of the time.

Empress: Takatsukasa Fusako (鷹司房子) later Shin-jyōsaimon'in (新上西門院), the daughter of Takatsukasa Norihira.

Third daughter: imperial princess Masako (1673-1746; 栄子内親王) married Nijo Tsunahira.

Maid of honor: Bōjō Fusako (1652-1676; 坊城房子), the daughter of Bōjō Toshihiro.

Second daughter: imperial princess Ken'shi (憲子内親王; 1669-1688) married Konoe Iehiro.

Maid of honor: Chunagon-Naishi (1653-1691; 中納言典侍).

First son: the imperial prince priest Saishin (1671-1701; 済深法親王).

Maid of honor: Matsuki Muneko (宗子) later Keihōmon'in (法門院), the daughter of Mutsuki Muneatsu.

Fourth son: imperial prince Asahito (朝仁親王), also known as Tomohito;4 later, Emperor Higashiyama
Fifth daughter: imperial princess Tomiko (福子内親王; 1676-1707) married imperial prince Fushimi-no-miya Kuninaga.
Sixth daughter: princess Eisyū (永秀女王; 1677-1725).
Seventh son: the Imperial prince Kyōgoku-no-miya Ayahito (1680-1711; 京極宮文文仁親王).
Seventh daughter: princess Ume (1681-1683; 梅宮).
Eighth daughter: imperial princess Katsuko (1686-1716; 勝子内)
Eighth son: prince Kiyo (1688-1693; 清宮).

Maid: Atago Fukuko (1656-1681; 愛宕福福子), the daughter of Atago Michitomi.

Second son: imperial prince priest Kanryū (1672-1707; 寛隆法).
Fourth daughter: Princess Tsuna (1675-1677; 綱宮)

Maid: Gojyō Yōko (1660-1683; 五条庸), daughter of Gojyō Tametsune.

Third son: Prince San (1675-1677; 三宮)
Fifth son: Imperial Prince Priest Gyōen (1676-1718; 尭延法親王)
Sixth son: prince Tairei'in (1679; 台嶺院宮).

Maid: Higashikuze Hiroko (1672-1752; 東久世博世博子), the daughter of Higashikuze Michikado.

Eleventh son: prince Toku (1692-1693; 徳宮).
Twelfth son: Prince Riki (1697; 力宮)

Court lady: Onaikouji-no-Tsubone ( -1674; 多奈井井小路局), daughter of Nishinotōin Tokinaga.

First daughter: princess Chikōin (1669; 知光院宮).

Court lady: Gojyō Tsuneko (1673- ; 五条経子), the daughter of Gojyō Tametsune.

Ninth son: prince Saku (1689-1692; 作宮)
Tenth son: imperial priest prince Syō'ou (1690-1712; 性応法親王).
Ninth daughter: the Bunki princess (1693-1702; 文喜女王).
Tenth daughter: princess Gensyū (1696-1752; 元秀女王)

Court lady: Tōshikibu-no-Tsubone (d.1746; 藤式部部局), daughter of Imaki Sadaatsu.

Thirteenth son: imperial prince Priest Sonsyō (1699-1746; 尊賞法).
Eleventh daughter: princess Bun'ō (1702-1754; 応女王応女王)

Court lady: Irie Itsuko ( -1763; 入江伊伊津子), the daughter of Irie Sukenao.

Fourteenth son: prince Kachi (1709-1713; 嘉智宮).
Twelfth daughter: Princess Tomé (1711-1712; 留宮)

Court lady: Chūjō-no-Tsubone (1691-1753; 中将局), daughter of Kurahashi Yasusada.

Fifteenth son: Prince Mine (1710-1713; 峯宮)

Court lady: Matsumuro Atsuko ( -1746; 松室敦敦子), the daughter of Matsumuro Shigeatsu.

Sixteenth son: imperial prince Arisugawa-no-miya Yorihito (1713-1769; 有栖川宮職職仁親王) - Fifth Arisugawa-no-miya.
Thirteenth daughter: imperial princess Yoshiko (吉子内親王, 1714-1758), betrothed to the shōgun Tokugawa Ietsugu.
Eighteenth son: Imperial Prince Priest Gyōkyō (1717-1764; 尭恭法親王).

Court lady: Shōshō-no-Tsubone (1702-1728; 少将局), the daughter of Minami Suketada.

Fourteenth daughter: princess Yae (1721-1723; 八重宮).

Court lady: Matsumuro Nakako (1707-1751; 松室仲仲子), the daughter of Matsumuro Shigenaka.

Seventeenth son: imperial prince Priest Son'in (1715-1740; 尊胤法親王).

Emperor Reigen's Life before his reign

On July 9, 1654, Imperial Prince Satohito, later to be known as Reigen-tenno, was born.

In the same year of his birth, he is named as successor to power, prior to the death of his brother, Emperor Go-Kōmyō; however, the young prince is considered too young to become emperor.

Therefore, it is decided that until the young heir grows up, his older brother will accede to the throne as Emperor Go-Sai.

Eras of the Reigen reign

Kanbun (1661-1673)

On March 5, 1663, Emperor Go-Sai Tenno abdicated and Satohito received the succession. Shortly thereafter, Reigen formally acceded to power, and his reign began.

In 1665, inquisition courts were established in every village in Japan. These courts were charged with investigating for the discovery and subsequent elimination of any vestiges of Christianity in Japanese communities.

A year later, the retention of Hokke shu Buddhist practices was decreed only for those who retained the belief that their moral and spiritual purity might be tarnished by close association with others.

In 1667, after its harsh destruction by an intense fire; reconstruction of the Nigatsu-dō temple (二月堂) in Nara began. In 1668, a major fire broke out in Edo, lasting up to 45 days. The origin of the fire was attributed to arson.

In 1669, there was a famine; and a military expedition was sent to northern Honshū against the Shakushain Revolt.

Enpō (1673-1681).

With the beginning of the new era, in the early days of 1673, there was a great fire in Kyoto. On May 21 of the same year , the Chinese Buddhist master Ingen dies at the Ōbaku Zen temple, Manpuku-ji in Uji.

In 1675 another natural catastrophe occurs again, a new large fire in Kyoto.

On June 4, 1680, the fourth Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Ietsuna, dies; he is succeeded by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, and only 11 days later, his father and former Emperor, Go-Mizunoo died.

During that same year, a great flood devastated Edo, today's Tokyo. In that same year and in that same city, the temple of Gokoku-ji was founded.

Tenna (1681-1684)

In 1681, Tokugawa Tsunyoshi's inauguration as Shogun began. Months later a series of setbacks follow in the Reigen mandate: a severe famine in Kyoto and its surroundings leaves the population very weakened, and already in 1682; a new catastrophe devastates the city of Edo;

this time in the form of a huge fire. Also, throughout this era; Tomohito-shinnō is proclaimed as the Crown Prince; and the ceremonial investiture takes place (after being on hold for over 300 years).

Jōkyō (1684-1688).

On March 26, 1685, Reigen's predecessor, Go-Sai; passes away. Two years later; in 1687, Emperor Reigen makes the decision to abdicate in favor of the fifth of his sons, who would thereafter become Emperor Higashiyama.

Thereafter, Emperor Reigen began to rule as a cloistered emperor; and after the abdication, Reigen's new home became the Sento-gosho, a former palace of one of the previous Japanese emperors.

Emperor Reigen's Life after his reign

In 1713, the former emperor Reigen enters a monastery with the name Sojō (素浄), and the following year, the thirteenth daughter of the former emperor Reigen, Princess Yoshiko; married the seventh Tokugawa shōgun, Ietsugu Tokugawa. In 1716, Ietsugu Tokugawa died, when he was 7 years old.

On September 24, 1732, Reigen died; aged 78.

Emperor Reigen Posthumous Name

His posthumous name was created during the Meiji Era (the reign of Emperor Meiji Tenno from 1968 to 1912) by combining the kanji (these are the signograms used in writing the Japanese language) of two previous emperors:

Emperor Kōrei Tenno (孝霊), the seventh Emperor of Japan (reign: -290 to -215).
Emperor Kōgen Tenno (孝元), the eighth Emperor of Japan, (reign: -214 to -158).

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