Emperor Sanjō

Sanjō
Emperor of Japan
(from the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu)
Reign	1011–1016
Coronation	1011
Predecessor	Ichijō
Successor	Go-Ichijō
Born	February 5, 976 Heian Kyō (Kyōto)
Died	June 5, 1017 (aged 41) Sanjō In (三条院), Heian Kyō (Kyōto)
Burial	Kitayama no misasagi (北山陵) (Kyoto)
Father	Reizei
Mother	Fujiwara no Chōshi

Emperor Sanjō (三条天皇, Sanjō-tennō^?, February 5, 976 – June 5, 1017) was the 67th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

Sanjō's reign spanned the years from 1011 through 1016.

Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was Iyasada-shinnō. He was also known as Sukesada-shinnō, and as Okisada-shinnō (居貞親王).

Iyasada was the second son of Emperor Reizei. He was the half-brother of Emperor Kazan, who was Reizei's first-born son. Ieyasada's mother was Fujiwara no Chōshi (藤原超子) (?-982), who was the daughter of the sesshō, Fujiwara no Kaneie. Chōshi was posthumously elevated to the rank of empress mother (Zō-Kōtaigō, 贈皇太后).

In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the Gempeitōkitsu (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the Minamoto clan (源氏)are also known as Genji, and of these, the Sanjō Genji (三条源氏) are descended from the 67th emperor Sanjō.

After his mother died when he was seven, his maternal grandfather Fujiwara no Kaneie raised him at Kaneie's mansion.

Kaneie died in the early part of Ichijō's reign. His three uncles, sons of Kaneie, made their daughters consorts of Ichijo and each aimed to seize power as the grandfather of a future emperor. These courtiers therefore sought to exclude Okisada from the Imperial succession, though each of them married their daughter to him. Later Ichijō had children by Fujiwara no Kishi, the daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga, and Michinaga expected his grandson to ascend to the throne as soon as possible. Michinaga became the kampaku (regent) of Japan during the reign of Ichijō and expected to hold this position in Sanjō's government as well.

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