Skip to content
日本国政府  · CC BY 4.0

House East Asian traditions

Imperial House of Japan

日本皇室 zh 皇室 ja 일본 황실 ko

Members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan

  • Dated from 11 February 660 BCE
  • Also called Yamato dynasty, Imperial Family, Japanese imperial family

A family
on the record,
reign by reign.

Documented kin

Overview

From Wikipedia, quoted unmodified under CC BY-SA 4.0; the article’s history is its list of authors.

Members · 80

The house, member by member

One family drawn as a tree, then every member, oldest first where a date is recorded.

What this means

People whose own records place them in this house. Membership of a house is a family fact. It is not a religious affiliation and not a right to any office. “Child of” appears where a member’s recorded parent is also in the house — a documented human family, the same kind of claim as membership, and nothing more. Imported from Wikidata: nothing here has been read by an editor.

4 children in the house

  1. Yōmei 6th century CE – 587 CE
  2. Sushun 6th century CE – 592 CE
  3. Bidatsu c. 538 CE – 585 CE
  4. Suiko 554 CE – 628 CE
One family in Imperial House of Japan: members whose records name this parent, oldest first. A parent from another house is on the child’s own page. Open the family tree

Every member

People whose own records place them in this house.

Show 62 more

Succession

Offices held in the house

The members in each office, in order — a selection from the office’s whole line.

Emperor of Japan

  • 76 holders
  • 1 overlap
  • 16 gaps
What this means

Who held an office after whom. Not parentage, not discipleship, and not universally recognised — offices are contested.

Does not imply recognition by every tradition · an uncontested claim · parentage · discipleship · an explanation of why the succession happened

Holding an office after someone says nothing about being related to them or taught by them. Where a line is also a family, both are on the holders’ own pages as separate sections.

A gap is a vacancy, an interregnum or a hole in the record; an overlap is rival claims or an office held by more than one at once. The records do not say which, so neither is resolved here. A gap shorter than two years sits inside the precision of year-dated records and is not marked. Only this house’s members are shown, so a gap between two of them may be a holder from outside it.

Why a succession happened is a historical argument. Where sources make one, it belongs in a reviewed connection with its citations — not in this order, and not in a predecessor field.

Recognition is never universal. Where a card names no recognising body, none is recorded — which is not the same as none.

Imported from Wikidata unless a card says otherwise. Nothing here has been read by an editor.

  1. 1st 11 February 660 BCE – 3 April 585 BCE Jimmu legendary first emperor of Japan
  2. Gap about 5 years before the next in this house

    2nd 580 BCE – 548 BCE Emperor Suizei emperor of Japan
  3. 3rd 548 BCE – 510 BCE Emperor Annei emperor of Japan
  4. 509 BCE – 475 BCE Emperor Itoku emperor of Japan
  5. Gap about 186 years before the next in this house

    289 BCE – 214 BCE Kōrei Emperor of Japan
  6. 213 BCE – 157 BCE Emperor Kōgen emperor of Japan
  7. 156 BCE – 98 BCE Emperor Kaika emperor of Japan Has references
  8. Gap about 2 years before the next in this house

    96 BCE – 29 BCE Sujin Emperor of Japan
  9. 28 BCE – 70 CE Suinin Emperor of Japan
  10. 71 CE – 130 CE Keikō Emperor of Japan
  11. 131 CE – 191 CE Emperor Seimu Emperor of Japan
  12. 192 CE – 200 CE Chūai Emperor of Japan
  13. Gap about 113 years before the next in this house

    313 CE – 399 CE Nintoku Emperor of Japan
  14. Gap about 13 years before the next in this house

    412 CE – 453 CE Ingyō 19th Emperor of Japan
  15. 454 CE – 456 CE Emperor Ankō Emperor of Japan
  16. 457 CE – 479 CE Yūryaku Japanese emperor
Show 60 more holders
  1. 480 CE – 484 CE Seinei Emperor of Japan
  2. Gap about 23 years before the next in this house

    507 CE – 531 CE Keitai Emperor of Japan
  3. 531 CE – 535 CE Ankan Emperor of Japan
  4. 536 CE – 539 CE Senka Emperor of Japan
  5. 7 December 539 CE – 17 April 571 CE Kinmei 29th Emperor of Japan
  6. 2 May 572 CE – 16 September 585 CE Bidatsu Emperor of Japan
  7. 7 September 585 CE – 11 April 587 CE Yōmei Japanese emperor
  8. 11 September 587 CE – 14 December 592 CE Sushun Emperor of Japan
  9. 17 January 593 CE – 18 April 628 CE Suiko Empress of Japan from 592 to 628
  10. 5 February 629 CE – 20 November 641 CE Jomei Japanese emperor
  11. Gap about 20 years before the next in this house

    661 CE – 672 CE Tenji Emperor of Japan (626-672)
  12. 672 CE – 4 October 686 CE Tenmu Emperor of Japan
  13. 672 CE – 27 August 672 CE Kōbun Emperor of Japan
  14. Gap about 14 years before the next in this house

    686 CE – 697 CE Jitō Empress of Japan (645-703)
  15. 697 CE – 707 CE Monmu Emperor of Japan
  16. Gap about 17 years before the next in this house

    724 CE – 749 CE Shōmu Emperor of Japan
  17. Gap about 9 years before the next in this house

    758 CE – 764 CE Junnin Emperor of Japan
  18. Gap about 6 years before the next in this house

    770 CE – 781 CE Kōnin 49th emperor of Japan
  19. 781 CE – 806 CE Emperor Kanmu Emperor of Japan
  20. 806 CE – 809 CE Emperor Heizei Emperor of Japan
  21. 18 May 809 CE – 29 May 823 CE Emperor Saga Emperor of Japan
  22. 29 May 823 CE – 22 March 833 CE Emperor Junna Emperor of Japan
  23. 22 March 833 CE – 4 May 850 CE Ninmyō Emperor of Japan
  24. 4 May 850 CE – 7 October 858 CE Montoku Emperor of Japan
  25. Gap about 26 years before the next in this house

    5 March 884 CE – 17 September 887 CE Kōkō Emperor of Japan
  26. 17 September 887 CE – 4 August 897 CE Uda Japanese emperor
  27. 4 August 897 CE – 16 October 930 CE Daigo 60th emperor of Japan
  28. 16 October 930 CE – 23 May 946 CE Suzaku Emperor of Japan
  29. 23 May 946 CE – 5 July 967 CE Murakami Emperor of Japan
  30. 5 July 967 CE – 27 September 969 CE Emperor Reizei Emperor of Japan
  31. 27 September 969 CE – 24 September 984 CE En'yū Emperor of Japan
  32. Gap about 61 years before the next in this house

    5 February 1045 CE – 22 May 1068 CE Go-Reizei 70th emperor of Japan
  33. 22 May 1068 CE – 18 January 1073 CE Go-Sanjō Emperor of Japan
  34. 18 January 1073 CE – 3 January 1087 CE Emperor Shirakawa Emperor of Japan
  35. 3 January 1087 CE – 9 August 1107 CE Emperor Horikawa Emperor of Japan
  36. 9 August 1107 CE – 25 February 1123 CE Emperor Toba Emperor of Japan
  37. 25 February 1123 CE – 5 January 1142 CE Emperor Sutoku Emperor of Japan
  38. 5 January 1142 CE – 22 August 1155 CE Emperor Konoe Emperor of Japan (1139–1155)
  39. 23 August 1155 CE – 5 September 1158 CE Emperor Go-Shirakawa 77th emperor of Japan (1155–58)
  40. 5 September 1158 CE – 3 August 1165 CE Nijō Emperor of Japan
  41. 3 August 1165 CE – 9 April 1168 CE Rokujō 79th Emperor of Japan
  42. 9 April 1168 CE – 18 March 1180 CE Takakura Emperor of Japan
  43. 18 March 1180 CE – 25 April 1185 CE Antoku Emperor of Japan
  44. Overlap held at the same time as Antoku

    8 September 1183 CE – 18 February 1198 CE Go-Toba Emperor of Japan
  45. 18 February 1198 CE – 12 December 1210 CE Tsuchimikado Emperor of Japan
  46. 12 December 1210 CE – 13 May 1221 CE Juntoku Emperor of Japan
  47. 13 May 1221 CE – 29 July 1221 CE Emperor Chūkyō Emperor of Japan
  48. Gap about 21 years before the next in this house

    21 February 1242 CE – 16 February 1246 CE Emperor Go-Saga Emperor of Japan
  49. Gap about 340 years before the next in this house

    17 December 1586 CE – 9 May 1611 CE Go-Yōzei emperor of Japan from 1586 to 1611
  50. 9 May 1611 CE – 22 December 1629 CE Emperor Go-Mizunoo emperor of Japan from 1611 to 1629
  51. 22 December 1629 CE – 14 November 1643 CE Empress Meishō empress of Japan (1624-1696)
  52. 14 November 1643 CE – 30 October 1654 CE Go-Kōmyō emperor of Japan (1633–1654)
  53. 5 January 1655 CE – 5 March 1663 CE Go-Sai emperor of Japan
  54. 5 May 1663 CE – 2 May 1687 CE Emperor Reigen emperor of Japan
  55. 6 May 1687 CE – 27 July 1709 CE Higashiyama emperor of Japan (1675-1710)
  56. Gap about 137 years before the next in this house

    121st 10 March 1846 CE – 30 January 1867 CE Emperor Kōmei Emperor of Japan from 1846 to 1867
  57. 122nd 3 February 1867 CE – 30 July 1912 CE Emperor Meiji Emperor of Japan from 1867 until 1912
  58. 123rd 30 July 1912 CE – 25 December 1926 CE Emperor Taishō Emperor of Japan from 1912 until 1926
  59. 124th 25 December 1926 CE – 7 January 1989 CE Hirohito emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989
  60. 125th 7 January 1989 CE – 30 April 2019 CE Akihito Emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019 Has references
Every recorded holder

Daijō Tennō

  • 5 holders
  • 3 overlapping pairs
  • 2 undated
What this means

Who held an office after whom. Not parentage, not discipleship, and not universally recognised — offices are contested.

Does not imply recognition by every tradition · an uncontested claim · parentage · discipleship · an explanation of why the succession happened

Holding an office after someone says nothing about being related to them or taught by them. Where a line is also a family, both are on the holders’ own pages as separate sections.

A gap is a vacancy, an interregnum or a hole in the record; an overlap is rival claims or an office held by more than one at once. The records do not say which, so neither is resolved here. A gap shorter than two years sits inside the precision of year-dated records and is not marked. Only this house’s members are shown, so a gap between two of them may be a holder from outside it. This office’s tenures overlap throughout, so it is listed as a roll in order of start rather than drawn as a line.

Why a succession happened is a historical argument. Where sources make one, it belongs in a reviewed connection with its citations — not in this order, and not in a predecessor field.

Recognition is never universal. Where a card names no recognising body, none is recorded — which is not the same as none.

Imported from Wikidata unless a card says otherwise. Nothing here has been read by an editor.

  1. from 697 CE Jitō Empress of Japan (645-703)
  2. from 22 March 833 CE Emperor Junna Emperor of Japan
  3. 897 CE – 899 CE Uda Japanese emperor

No dates recorded 2

Crown Prince of Japan

  • 4 holders
  • 2 overlaps
  • 2 gaps
What this means

Who held an office after whom. Not parentage, not discipleship, and not universally recognised — offices are contested.

Does not imply recognition by every tradition · an uncontested claim · parentage · discipleship · an explanation of why the succession happened

Holding an office after someone says nothing about being related to them or taught by them. Where a line is also a family, both are on the holders’ own pages as separate sections.

A gap is a vacancy, an interregnum or a hole in the record; an overlap is rival claims or an office held by more than one at once. The records do not say which, so neither is resolved here. A gap shorter than two years sits inside the precision of year-dated records and is not marked. Only this house’s members are shown, so a gap between two of them may be a holder from outside it.

Why a succession happened is a historical argument. Where sources make one, it belongs in a reviewed connection with its citations — not in this order, and not in a predecessor field.

Recognition is never universal. Where a card names no recognising body, none is recorded — which is not the same as none.

Imported from Wikidata unless a card says otherwise. Nothing here has been read by an editor.

  1. 714 CE – 724 CE Shōmu Emperor of Japan
  2. Gap about 49 years before the next in this house

    from 773 CE Emperor Kanmu Emperor of Japan
  3. Overlap held at the same time as Emperor Kanmu

    14 October 810 CE – 29 May 823 CE Emperor Junna Emperor of Japan
  4. Gap about 1065 years before the next in this house

    Overlap held at the same time as Emperor Kanmu

    3 November 1888 CE – 30 July 1912 CE Emperor Taishō Emperor of Japan from 1912 until 1926

Empress of Japan

  • 4 holders
  • 1 gap
  • 2 undated
What this means

Who held an office after whom. Not parentage, not discipleship, and not universally recognised — offices are contested.

Does not imply recognition by every tradition · an uncontested claim · parentage · discipleship · an explanation of why the succession happened

Holding an office after someone says nothing about being related to them or taught by them. Where a line is also a family, both are on the holders’ own pages as separate sections.

A gap is a vacancy, an interregnum or a hole in the record; an overlap is rival claims or an office held by more than one at once. The records do not say which, so neither is resolved here. A gap shorter than two years sits inside the precision of year-dated records and is not marked. Only this house’s members are shown, so a gap between two of them may be a holder from outside it.

Why a succession happened is a historical argument. Where sources make one, it belongs in a reviewed connection with its citations — not in this order, and not in a predecessor field.

Recognition is never universal. Where a card names no recognising body, none is recorded — which is not the same as none.

Imported from Wikidata unless a card says otherwise. Nothing here has been read by an editor.

  1. 673 CE – 686 CE Jitō Empress of Japan (645-703)
  2. Gap about 1240 years before the next in this house

    25 December 1926 CE – 7 January 1989 CE Kōjun Japanese empress

No dates recorded 2

  • Dates unrecorded Fujiwara no Tamako Empress consort of Emperor Toba of Japan, mother of Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Go-Shirakawa
  • Dates unrecorded Eishō Japanese empress (1835-1897)

Chronology is not a full explanation

Why one member followed another takes evidence beyond the order of their dates. That both belonged to the house is not, on its own, that evidence.

Religious context · a separate claim

Affiliation

Counted from the members’ own statements — never the religion of anyone the house ruled.

What this means

Assembled from the members’ own statements, and counted. What a person was affiliated with, what a ruler paid for, what a state did and what a population practised are four separate kinds of claim. Only the first two are in the data at all, and they are kept apart here.

Affiliations recorded on members

An affiliation recorded by a third party, often for one period of a life. It is not the religion of anyone this house ruled.

Connections

How Imperial House of Japan connects

Grouped by the kind of relationship, because a successor is not a son and a shared symbol is not an influence.

Affiliation 1

What this means

Association with a tradition or school. Traditions branch, overlap and re-merge; this is not a clean single-origin tree.

Does not imply personal belief at every point in a life · the practice of a population

Imported from Wikidata unless a tile says otherwise. Nothing here has been read by an editor.

Transmission 1

What this means

Teaching passed from one person to another. Not biological ancestry and not automatic institutional succession.

Does not imply that the tradition began fully formed · that later adherents accept the attribution

Imported from Wikidata unless a tile says otherwise. Nothing here has been read by an editor.

Sources

Sources and evidence

Where every statement on this page comes from, and how each one stands.

2 statements on this record

  • 2 Imported Taken from Wikidata as it stands. Nobody here has read it. 1 of them cite only Wikipedia: one source, counted once.

Only this record’s own statements. What other records say about it is counted on theirs.

Three layers, three licences

Data
Wikidata · CC0 1.0
Text
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0, quoted, not merged
Pictures
Wikimedia Commons · each file’s own terms

Review

Not yet read by an editor here. Every relationship on this page is an import.

Disagreements are kept, not resolved, and a count of sources is not a confidence score.

Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞; b. 1786, d. 1865) · Public domain

Keep exploring

More from East Asian traditions

Daoism, Confucian practice, Chinese folk religion, Shinto and Korean tradition.