Nii no Ama rescuing a young Emperor Antoku from a dragon, in a print by Yoshitsuya Ichieisai.

Emperor Antoku (安徳天皇 Antoku-tennō) (December 22, 1178 – April 24, 1185) was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. ^[1]

Genealogy

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his imina)^[2] was Tokohito-shinnō (言仁親王). ^[3] He was also known as Kotohito-shinnō. ^[4]

His father was Emperor Takakura. Emperor Takakura (高倉天皇 Takakura-tennō) ( September 23, 1161 &ndash January 30, 1181) was the 80th emperor His mother was Taira no Tokuko (平徳子), second daughter of Taira no Kiyomori (平清盛), later referred to as Empress Dowager Kenrei (建礼門院, Kenrei-mon In). (1155&ndash1213 later known as, was the last Heike Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval Battle of Dan-no-ura. was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first Samurai -dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. (1155&ndash1213 later known as, was the last Heike Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval Battle of Dan-no-ura.

Events of Antoku's life

Antoku was named crown prince at around one month of age. He ascended the throne at one year of age. Naturally, he held no actual power, but rather his grandfather Taira no Kiyomori ruled in his name, though not officially, as sesshō (regent). In Japan, Sesshō (摂政 was a title given to a Regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his Coming of age, or an

• Jishō 4, on the 21st day of the 4th month (1180): In the 12th year of Takakura-tennō's reign (高倉天皇12年), the emperor was forced to abdicate; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his infant son, the grandson of Taira Kiyomori. was a after Angen and before Yōwa. This period spanned the years from 1177 through 1181. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Antoku is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). ^[5]

In the year of his enthronement, the capital was moved to modern-day Kōbe, Hyōgo, but it was soon moved back to Heian-kyō. is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kinki region on Honshū Island (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan.

• Juei 2, on the 20th day of the 8th month (1183): Go-Toba is proclaimed emperor by the Genji; and consequently, there were two proclaimed emperors, one living in Heian-kyō and another in flight towards the south. was a after Yōwa and before Genryaku. This period spanned the years from 1182 through 1184. ^[6]

In 1183, when Minamoto no Yoshinaka entered the capital, the Taira clan fled with the young emperor and the sacred treasures to Yashima (the name of a place inside modern-day Takamatsu, Kagawa). (1154 &ndash 1184 was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history. For other uses of the word Taira see Taira (disambiguation The was a major Japanese clan in historical Japan The, also known as the Three Sacred Treasures, consist of the Sword, Kusanagi (草薙劍 the jewel or necklace of jewels is located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government Being defeated in the Battle of Yashima, they fled westward.

• Genryaku 2, on the 24th day of the 3rd month (1185): The Taira and the Minamoto clashed in the Battle of Dan-no-ura. was a after Juei and before Bunji. This period spanned the years from 1184 through 1185. The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. ^[7]

The Taira were defeated. Antoku's grandmother, Taira no Tokiko, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori, drowned herself along with the young emperor. His mother also drowned herself, but apparently, according to the The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari), she was pulled out with a rake by her long hair. The Tale of the Heike ( Heike monogatari, 平家物語 is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto Clans A rake ( Old English raca, cognate with Dutch raak, German Rechen, from a root meaning "to scrape together" Hair is a keratinised protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the Dermis. According to legend, the sacred jewels and the sacred sword (two of the three sacred treasures) sunk to the bottom of the sea, and although the sacred jewels were recovered, the sword was lost. is a legendary Japanese Sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan The, also known as the Three Sacred Treasures, consist of the Sword, Kusanagi (草薙劍 the jewel or necklace of jewels

The story of Emperor Antoku and his mother's family became the subject of the Kamakura period epic poem The Tale of the Heike (Heike is an alternate reading of the Japanese characters for "House of the Taira"). The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 by the first Kamakura Shogun An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation The Tale of the Heike ( Heike monogatari, 平家物語 is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto Clans are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with Hiragana (ひらがな 平仮名 Katakana

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 eras. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July

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 Antoku's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:

• Sesshō, Konoe Motomichi, 1160-1233. The was the Department of State in Nara and Heian period Japan and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. In Japan, Sesshō (摂政 was a title given to a Regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his Coming of age, or an was a Kugyo (high-ranking Japanese official from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. ^[8]
• Udaijin
• Nadaijin, Taira Munemori, 1147-1185. Udaijin (右大臣 most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right" was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and The, usually translated as Inner Minister -- also known as the -- was a significant post in the Imperial court as re-organized under the ''Taihō'' Code. ^[8]
• Dainagon

Memorial Site

After his drowning, in order to mourn the Bodhi, the Amidaji Goeidō was built. often translated as "Great Councillor" was a government post of the Japanese Ritsuryo governmental system which was in place for much of the classical and Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment Later, Antoku was enshrined at the Kurume-Suitengū in Kurume, Fukuoka, and he came to be worshipped as Mizu-no-kami (水の神, lit. is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. The city has an estimated Population of 306140 and the density of 1332 persons per km² WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. "water-god" or "god of water"), the god of easy delivery at Suitengū (水天宮, lit. "water-heaven/emperor-shrine") everywhere.

With the establishment of Shintō as the state religion of Japan, the Amida was abandoned and the Akama Shrine was established in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi to celebrate Antoku. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines--> is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū

Eras of Antoku's reign

The years of Antoku's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō. The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common Calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common Calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era ^[9]

• Jishō (1177-1181)
• Yōwa ([1181-1182)
• Juei (1182-1184)
• Genryaku (1184-1185)
• Bunji (1185-1190)

References

• Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). [ Jien, 1221], Gukanshō (The Future and the Past, a translation and study of the Gukanshō, an interpretative history of Japan written in 1219). Jien (慈円 ( 17 May 1155 in Kyoto &ndash 28 October 1225 in Omi (now Shiga) was a Japanese is a historical and literary work about the history of Japan Seven volumes in length it was composed by Buddhist priest Jien of the Tendai sect c Berkeley: University of California Press. University of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a Publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in Academic ISBN 0-520-03460-0
• Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Burce T. Tsuchida, ed. (1975). The Tale of the Heike. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. The is a University press affiliated with the University of Tokyo in Japan. ISBN 0-86008-128-1
• Titsingh, Isaac, ed. Isaac Titsingh ( 10 January 1745 in Amsterdam – 2 February 1812 in Paris) was a Dutch surgeon scholar merchant-trader (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652], Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. Hayashi Gahō (林鵞峰 (1618 &ndash 1688 also known as Hayashi Shunsai, was a Japanese Neo-Confucian scholar teacher and administrator in the system of is a 17th century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings during each period par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re. , complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth. Julius Heinrich Klaproth (1783-1835 German Orientalist and traveller Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (RAS was according to its Royal Charter of August 11, 1824 ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)
• Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). [ Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359], Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. (1293 &ndash 1354 was a Japanese court noble and writer of the 14th century who supported the Southern Court in the Nanboku-cho period serving as advisor is a Japanese historical book written by Kitabatake Chikafusa (北畠親房 a court noble in the ''Nanboku-chō'' period Paul Varley). New York: Columbia University Press. Columbia University Press is a University press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. ISBN 0-231-04940-4