Empress Gemmei
| Genmei | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Empress of Japan | |
| Reign | 707–715 |
| Predecessor | Monmu |
| Successor | Genshō |
| Born | 23 April 660 |
| Died | December 29, 721 (aged 61) Nara, Japan |
| Burial | Nahoyama no higashi no misasagi (Nara) |
| Spouse | Prince Kusakabe |
| Issue | Prince Karu (Monmu) Princess Hidaka (Genshō) |
| Father | Tenji |
| Mother | Soga no Mei-no-iratsume |
Empress Genmei (元明天皇 Gemmei-tennō?, 660 – December 29, 721), also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Genmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715 CE.
In the history of Japan, Genmei was the fourth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The three female monarchs before Genmei were Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei, and Jitō. The four women sovereigns reigning after Genmei were Genshō, Kōken/Shōtoku, Meishō, and Go-Sakuramachi.
Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name (imina) was Abe-hime.
Empress Genmei was the fourth daughter of Emperor Tenji; and she was a younger sister of Empress Jitō by a different mother. Her mother, Mei-no-Iratsume (also known as Soga-hime), was a daughter of Udaijin Soga-no-Kura-no-Yamada-no-Ishikawa-no-Maro (also known as Soga Yamada-no Ō-omi).
Genmei became the consort (nyōgo) of Crown Prince Kusakabe no Miko, who was the son of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. After the death of their son Emperor Monmu in 707, she acceded to the throne. At least one account suggests that she accepted the role of empress because Emperor Mommu felt his young son, her grandson, was still too young to withstand the pressures which attend becoming emperor.
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