Emperor Kenzō
Emperor of Japan from 485 to 487
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Emperor Kenzō (顕宗天皇, Kenzō-tennō) (449/50–487) was the 23rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.[7][8][9] No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 485 to 487.[10]
Seinei (traditional)
| Emperor Kenzō 顕宗天皇 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Emperor of Japan | |||||
| Reign | 485–487 (traditional)[1] | ||||
| Predecessor | Princess Iitoyo (de facto) Seinei (traditional) | ||||
| Successor | Ninken | ||||
| Born | 449–450[a] | ||||
| Died | 487 (aged 38)[b] Asuka, Yamato | ||||
| Burial | Kataoka no Iwatsuki no oka no minami no misasagi (傍丘磐坏丘南陵) (Nara) | ||||
| Spouse | Naniwa-no-Ono | ||||
| |||||
| House | Imperial House of Japan | ||||
| Father | Ichinobe no Oshiwa[2] | ||||
| Mother | Hae-hime[6] | ||||
Protohistoric narrative
Prince Woke (袁祁王), later to become Emperor Kenzō, is said to have been the grandson of Emperor Richū, and the son of Ichinobe-no Oshiwa.[11] He would have been quite young when Emperor Yūryaku shot the arrow which killed his father during a hunting expedition; and this caused both Prince Woke and his older brother, Prince Oke, to flee for their lives. According to Harima no Kuni Fudoki, they found refuge at Akashi in Harima Province where they hid by living in obscurity. Histories from that period explained that the two brothers sought to blend into this rural community by posing as common herdsmen.[12]
It is said that the Oke came by chance to Akashi; and at that time, Prince Oke revealed his true identity. This intermediary re-introduced the lost cousins to Emperor Seinei, who had by this time ascended to the throne after the death of his father, the former Emperor Yūryaku. Seinei invited both brothers to return the court; and he adopted both of them as sons and heirs.[12]
At Seinei's death, he had no other heirs than Prince Oke and Prince Woke, whose father had been killed by Yūraku. At this point, Woke wanted his elder brother to become Emperor; but Oke refused. The two could not reach an agreement. The great men of the court insisted that one or the other of the brothers must accept the throne; but in the end, Woke proved to be more adamant. Prince Woke agreed to accept the throne; and Kenzō was ultimately proclaimed as the new Emperor—which created a sense of relief for all the people who had endured this period of uncertainty.[13]
Kenzō is considered to have ruled the country during the late-5th century, but there is a paucity of information about him. There is insufficient material available for further verification and study.
Historical assessment
There is no evidence to suggest that the title tennō (meaning "emperor") was used during the time to which Kenzō's reign has been assigned. Instead, his title could have possibly been Sumeramikoto or Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi (治天下大王), meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven", or ヤマト大王/大君 "Great King of Yamato". The name Kenzō-tennō was more than likely assigned to him posthumously by later generations.[14] His name might have been regularized centuries after the lifetime ascribed to Kenzō, possibly during the time in which legends about the origins of the imperial dynasty were compiled as the chronicles known today as the Kojiki.[15]
Outside of the Kiki, the reign of Emperor Kinmei[c] (c. 509 – 571 AD) is the first for which contemporary historiography has been able to assign verifiable dates.[17] The conventionally accepted names and dates of the early Emperors were not confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kanmu[d] between 737 and 806 AD.[15]
While the actual site of Kenzō's grave is not known, this regent is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) in Osaka. As designated by the Imperial Household Agency as Kenzō's mausoleum, its formal name is Kataoka no Iwatsuki no oka no kita no misasagi.[8] Kenzō is also enshrined at the Imperial Palace along with other emperors and members of the Imperial Family at the Three Palace Sanctuaries.
It is recorded that his capital was at Chikatsu Asuka no Yatsuri no Miya (近飛鳥八釣宮) in Yamato Province.[18] The location of the palace is thought to have been in present-day Osaka Prefecture or Nara Prefecture.[19]
Murray reports that the only event of major consequence during Kenzō's reign had to do with the filial respect he showed for his murdered father. Kenzō arranged to have his father's remains retrieved and re-interred in a mausoleum appropriate for the son of an Emperor and the father of another.[20]
Kenzō died at age 37, reigning only three years.[18] He too had no other heirs; so his brother would follow him on the throne. His Empress was Princess Naniwa-no-Ono (難波小野王; d.489), Prince Oka-no-Wakugo's daughter (also Prince Iwaki's granddaughter and Emperor Yuryaku's great-granddaughter).
Consorts and children
Empress (Kōgō): Princess Naniwa-no-Ono (難波小野王; d.489), Prince Oka-no-Wakugo's daughter (also Prince Iwaki's granddaughter and Emperor Yuryaku's great-granddaughter)
See also
Notes
- Joseph Henry Longford mentions 449 AD as a birth year, while two other sources specifically state "450".[2][3][4] Emperor Kenzō dying at the age of 38 would imply the former of these two possible years.
- At least one source by Delmer M. Brown mentions Emperor Kenzō dying at the age of 48.[5]
- Kanmu was the 50th sovereign of the imperial dynasty
