#japanese empresses

[city-of-ladies]

Genmei (661-721) was Japan's fourth empress regnant. She was Empress Jitō's half-sister and her match in terms of ambition and political skills. Her rule was characterized by a development of culture and innovations. 

Ruling after her son

Like Jitō (645-703), Genmei was the daughter of Emperor Tenji but was born from a different mother. Jitō was both her half-sister and mother-in-law since Genmei had married the empress’ son, Prince Kusakabe (662-689). She had a son with him, Emperor Monmu (683-707). 

Kusakabe died early and never reigned, which led to Jitō's enthronement. The empress was then succeeded by her grandson Monmu. The latter’s reign was short. In his last will, he called for his mother to succeed him in accordance with the “immutable law” of her father Tenji. Genmei accepted. 

Steadfast and ambitious 

Genmei was made from the same mold as her half-sister. She proved to be a fearless sovereign, undeterred by military crises. 

She pursued Jitō's policies, strengthening the central administration and keeping the power in imperial hands. Among her decisions were the proscription of runaway peasants and the restriction of private ownership of mountain and field properties by the nobility and Buddhist temples. 

Another of her achievements was transferring the capital at Heijō-kyō (Nara) in 710, turning it into an unprecedented cultural and political center. Her rule saw many innovations. Among them were the first attempt to replace the barter system with the Wadō copper coins, new techniques for making brocade twills and dyeing and the settlement of experimental dairy farmers.

A protector of culture

Genmei sponsored many cultural projects. The first was the Kojiki, written in 712 it told Japan’s history from mythological origins to the current rulers. In its preface, the editor Ō no Yasumaro praised the empress:

“Her Imperial Majesty…illumines the univers…Ruling in the Purple Pavillion, her virtue extends to the limit of the horses’ hoof-prints…It must be saif that her fame is greater than that of Emperor Yü and her virtue surpasses that of Emperor Tang (legendary emperors of China)”.

In 713, she ordered the local governments to collect local legends and oral traditions as well as information about the soil, weather, products and geological and zoological features. Those local gazetteers (Fudoki) were an invaluable source of Japan’s ancient tradition.

Several of Genmei’s poems are included in the Man'yōshū anthology, including a reply by one of the court ladies. 

Listen to the sounds of the warriors' elbow-guards;

Our captain must be ranging the shields to drill the troops.

– Genmei Tennō

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

From mother to daughter 

Genmei abdicated in 715 and passed the throne to her daughter, empress Genshō (680-748) instead of her sickly grandson prince Obito. This was an unprecedented situation, making the Nara period the pinnacle of female monarchy in Japan. 

Genmei would oversee state affairs until she died in 721. Before her death, she shaved her head and became a nun, becoming the first Japanese monarch to take Buddhist vows and establishing a long tradition.

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Further reading

Shillony Ben-Ami, Enigma of the Emperors Sacred Subservience in Japanese History

Tsurumi Patricia E., “Japan’s early female emperors”

Aoki Michiko Y., "Jitō Tennō, the female sovereign",in: Mulhern Chieko Irie (ed.), Heroic with grace legendary women of Japan

[exactlyfuturisticbeliever]

Empress Genmei (元明天皇, Genmei-tennō, April 20, 660 – December 29, 721), also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.[2] Genmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715.

[mournfulroses]

Empress Yamatohime, transl. by Kenneth Rexroth, from Written on The Sky; Poems from the Japanese

[theroyalsandi]

Japanese Imperial Family - Empress Masako wears the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara with diamond drop earrings and a diamond necklace as she attends the State Banquet in their honour at Buckingham Palace in London, England | June 25, 2024

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT: Empress Masako of Japan wore the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara for the banquet during the state visit to the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace on 25 June 2024.

[thewales-family]

Queen Camilla, The Prince of Wales and Empress Masako of Japan attend the ceremonial welcome during day one of the Emperor and Empress of Japan's State Visit to the United Kingdom, at Horse Guards Parade in London, England -June 25th 2024.

[crazyfox-archives]

"Portrait of Empress Kōmyō" (光明皇后像) by Kobori Tomoto (小堀鞆音), 1920's, illustrating the scene in which the Empress (701-760) administers a medicinal bath to a leper (actually a divine bodhisattva in disguise) according to her vow at the temple bathhouse she established.

"Retrato de la emperatriz Kōmyō" (光明皇后像) de Kobori Tomoto (小堀鞆音), años 20, que ilustra la escena en la que la emperatriz (701-760) administra un baño medicinal a un leproso (en realidad un bodhisattva divino disfrazado) según su voto en la casa de baños del templo que ella estableció

Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk from the collection of Hokkeji Temple (法華寺) in Nara

Image from "Amamonzeki: A Hidden Heritage: Treasures of the Japanese Imperial Convents" published by the Sankei Shimbun, 2009, page 52

[royal-confessions]

“The way the Imperial court broke Empress Masako, a Harvard and Oxford educated economist, lawyer, and diplomat, is a cautionary tale. Successfully marrying into a royal family takes more than just looks and brains, it takes a lot of grit.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[theopalempress]

Morgan Fey ACE ATTORNEY COSPLAY Transformation Video - TheOpalEmpress

[duchessofostergotlands]

I'm very much an out of sight, out of mind kind of person so I haven't been that bothered about Kate being gone. It's not personal, I'm just fine not seeing people if I know they're ok. But I am genuinely sad that she isn't there next to Masako. I have wanted them to interact for such a long time.

[city-of-ladies]

Japan’s fifth empress regnant, Genshō (680-748), ruled after her mother, Empress Genmei. Like her mother, she was a protector of culture and a reformer.

From Mother to Daughter

When Empress Genmei abdicated in 715, she passed the throne to her daughter instead of her sickly and too-young grandson. This created a unique case in Japanese history, marking the Nara period as the pinnacle of female monarchy in Japan. Unlike previous female sovereigns, Genshō had never been married before.

Her reign marked the height of the Nara state. One of her major achievements was the compilation of the Yōrō code in 718, a faithful copy of the earlier Taihō code. It was widely distributed throughout the country, ensuring effective central administration. This code became the legal basis of government for the next two centuries.

Cultural Contributions

Like her mother, Genshō made significant cultural contributions. In 720, the Nihon Shoki, a work aiming to produce a national history of Japan and the imperial family, was completed and officially sanctioned. Using diverse sources such as Chinese and Korean documents, government records, and house journals, it covered a longer period than the earlier Kojiki, including the reign of Empress Jitō, in a scholarly tone.

Interestingly, the two chronicles linking the imperial family to the sun goddess Amaterasu were sanctioned and promoted by female rulers.

Retired Empress

Genshō spent nine years on the throne. She stepped down in 724 to make way for her 23-year-old nephew, Emperor Shōmu (701-756). Unlike her mother, Genshō did not become a nun. She assumed the title of Daijō Tennō (or "retired emperor") and remained active for another 24 years.

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Further reading 

Shillony Ben-Ami, Enigma of the Emperors Sacred Subservience in Japanese History

Tsurumi Patricia E., “Japan’s early female emperors”

Aoki Michiko Y., “Jitō Tennō, the female sovereign”,in: Mulhern Chieko Irie (ed.), Heroic with grace legendary women of Japan

[victorysp]

Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan arrived in London this afternoon. Their Majesties will stay in the UK until 28 June.

📷 Embassy of Japan in UK vía twitter

[europesroyalsjewels]

Diamond Collet Necklace ♕ Japanese Imperial Family

[theroyalsandi]

Japanese Imperial Family and British Royal Family - Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan (R) greets by the Prince of Wales at their hotel, on behalf of the King, before the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade, for their state visit to the United Kingdom in London, England. | June 25, 2024

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT: Empress Masako wore Empress Shōken's Meiji Scroll Tiara at the New Year’s Reception at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on 1 January 2024.

[thewales-family]

Queen Camilla, The Prince of Wales and Empress Masako of Japan attend the ceremonial welcome during day one of the Emperor and Empress of Japan's State Visit to the United Kingdom, at Horse Guards Parade in London, England -June 25th 2024.