Emperor Toba
Emperor Toba (鳥羽天皇 Toba Tennō) (February 24, 1103 – July 20, 1156) was the 74th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from 1107 to 1123, but actual power was held by the "retired" Emperor Shirakawa in a process known as cloistered rule. After Shirakawa died in 1129, Toba also became a cloistered emperor. His personal name was Munehito (宗仁)
Genealogy
He was the son of Emperor Horikawa. His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara ?? (藤原苡子)
- 1119-1164 Imperial Prince Akihito (顕仁親王), later Emperor Sutoku, note: There is an old theory that Akihito's father was actually Emperor Shirakawa, Toba's grandfather
- 1122-1133 Imperial Princess ?? (禧子内親王) - Western Palace
- 1124-1129 Imperial Prince Michihito (通仁親王)
- 1125-1143 Imperial Prince Kimihito (君仁親王)
- 1126-1189 Imperial Princess ?? (統子内親王) - Empress Dowager ?? (上西門院)
- 1127-1192 Imperial Prince Masahito (雅仁親王) - later Emperor Go-Shirakawa
- 1129-1169 Imperial Prince ?? (本仁親王), later became a priest under the name ?? (覚性法親王)
- 1132-1168 Prince Michie (道恵法親王) - Buddhist Priest
- 1134-1181 Prince ?? (覚快法親王) - Buddhist Priest
- 1135-1148 Imperial Princess ?? (叡子内親王)
- 1137-1211 Imperial Princess ?? (暲子内親王)
- 1139-1155 Imperial Prince Narihito (体仁親王), later Emperor Konoe
- 1141-1176 Imperial Princess ?? ((女朱)子内親王), empress (chūgū to Emperor Nijō)
- 1145-1208 Imperial Princess ?? (頌子内親王)
- 11??-1161 Imperial Princess ?? (幵子内親王) - Yoshida saigō (Imperial Princess serving at Ise Shrine)
- 11??-1195 阿夜御前
- ?? (真誉)
- Takamatsunomiya (高松宮) (apparently no connection with Arisugawa-no-miya, which was originally named Takamatsu-no-miya)
- Prince ?? (最忠法親王) - Buddhist Priest
- Imperial Prince ?? (道果親王)
Empresses
- 1101-1145 Second Empress (chūgū): Fujiwara Tamako (藤原璋子), Empress Dowager ?? (待賢門院), eldest daughter of Fujiwara Kinzane (藤原公実)
- 1095-1155 Empress (kōgō) Fujiwara Yasuko? (藤原泰子), Kōyō-in (高陽院), eldest daughter of Fujiwara no Tadazane
- 1117-1160 Empress (kōgō) Fujiwara Tokuko (藤原得子), Empress Dowager Yoshitomi (美福門院), daughter of Fujiwara no Nagami (藤原長実)
Life
When his mother died, his grandfather, Retired Emperor Shirakawa, took him under his care and raised him. He became emperor at the age of four upon the death of his father, Emperor Horikawa. Government affairs were controlled by his grandfather as cloistered emperor.
He abdicated in 1123. In 1129, after the death of Retired Emperor Shirakawa, he began to rule as cloistered emperor. He continued to hold power through the reigns of three emperors, Emperor Sutoku, Emperor Konoe, and Emperor Go-Shirakawa. In 1142, he became a monk, entereing the Tōdaiji Temple.