Emperor Seiwa


Emperor Seiwa was the 56th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.

Traditional narrative

Seiwa was the fourth son of Emperor Montoku. His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Akirakeiko. Seiwa's mother was the daughter of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, who was regent and great minister of the council of state.
He was the younger half-brother of Imperial Prince Koretaka

Imina

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Korehito, the first member of the Imperial house to be personally named "-hito". One meaning of the character 仁 is the Confucian concept of ren. Later it has been a tradition to name the personal name of all male members of the Imperial family this way.
He was also known as emperor as Mizunoo-no-mikado or Minoo-tei.

Events of Seiwa's life

Originally under the guardianship of his maternal grandfather Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, he displaced Imperial Prince Koretaka as Crown Prince. Upon the death of his father in 858, Emperor Montoku, he became Emperor at the age of 9, but the real power was held by his grandfather, Yoshifusa.
The actual site of Seiwa's grave is known. The emperor is traditionally venerated at the misasagi memorial shrine in the Ukyō-ku ward of Kyoto. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Seiwa's mausoleum. It is formally named the Minooyama no Misasagi or Seiwa Tennō Ryō. From the site of his tomb the Emperor Seiwa is sometimes referred to as the Emperor Mizunoo. The kami of Emperor Seiwa is venerated at the Seiwatennō-sha in close proximity to the mausoleum.

Kugyō

Kugyō is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji 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 Seiwa's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
The years of Seiwa's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.
Consort later Kōtaigō: Fujiwara no Takako later Nijo-kisaki, Fujiwara no Nagara's daughter
Consort : Fujiwara no Tamiko, Fujiwara no Yoshimi's daughter
Consort : Taira no Kanshi
Consort : Princess Kashi
Consort : Minamoto no Sadako
Consort : Princess Ryūshi
Consort : Princess Kenshi
Consort : Princess Chūshi/Tadako, Emperor Kōkō's daughter
Consort : Fujiwara no Yoriko, Fujiwara no Mototsune's daughter
Consort : Fujiwara no Kazuko, Fujiwara no Mototsune's daughter
Consort : Minamoto no Takeko/Izuko, Minamoto no Yoshiari's daughter
Consort : Minamoto no Seishi, Emperor Montoku's daughter
Consort : Minamoto no Kenshi/Atsuko
Consort : Minamoto no Gishi/Yoshiko, Minamoto no Okimoto's daughter
Court Attendant : Ariwara no Fumiko, Ariwara no Yukihira's daughter
Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Yoshichika's daughter
Court Attendant : Tachibana no Yasukage's daughter
Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Nakamune's daughter
Court Attendant : Prince Munesada's daughter
Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Sadamune's daughter
Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Morofuji's daughter
Court Attendant : Fujiwara no Morokazu's daughter
Court Attendant : Saeki no Sanefusa's daughter
Court Attendant : Ben-no-miyasundokoro, Ōe no Otondo's daughter
Court lady: Kamo no Mineo's daughter
Court lady: Ōno no Takatori's daughter