Emperor Goyozei

Japanese: 後陽成天皇 - ごようぜいてんのう

Year of death: 8/26/1617 (9/25/1617)
Year of birth: 15th December 1571 (12th December 1571)
Emperor of the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. The first son of Prince Masahito, his mother was Shinjotomon'in Haruko (daughter of Kanshuji Harusuke). He was originally named Kazuhito, and in December 1598 (Keicho 3), he changed his name to Kazuhito. On September 17, 1586 (Tensho 14), he became Prince Tachi. As his father died in July of the same year before succeeding to the throne, he ascended to the throne on November 7 when Emperor Ogimachi abdicated, and ascended to the throne on the 25th of the same year. He abdicated to Prince Masahito on March 27, 1603. His reign was a time when Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified the country, Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Edo Shogunate, and it was also a time when the imperial court society, including the emperor who had barely survived the Sengoku period, was restored to power. However, Hideyoshi, who was appointed Grand Minister of State on December 19, 1582, adopted the daughter of the former chancellor Konoe Sakihisa, Maeko, and had her enter the Imperial Court as the new Emperor's consort, thus taking on the position of maternal relative. The Imperial Visit to Jurakudai on April 14, 1583, despite the splendor of the procession, also had an aspect of announcing to the nation the substantial establishment of the Toyotomi government, just as Hideyoshi had written. Meanwhile, dissatisfied with the shogunate's treatment of the adultery scandal involving a palace lady in June 1609, the Emperor hinted at abdicating, but Ieyasu postponed it. The following year, as Konoe Nobutada's diary, Sanmyakuinki, states, "It was not possible to abdicate," and he was ultimately forced to submit to Ieyasu. Thus, in conjunction with the economic recovery of the Imperial Court during this period, the Shogunate took the initiative in reorganizing the accession and abdication of the Emperor, as well as the right to change era names and invest official ranks, which had been the Emperor's role since ancient times. The Emperor, who had a deep love of learning, is known for having dispatched an imperial envoy to rescue Hosokawa Yusai, who conveyed the secrets of the Kokin Wakashū, when he was holed up in Tanabe Castle in Tango during the Battle of Sekigahara. He also had wooden type made to print works such as the Jindai-maki Scroll of the Nihon Shoki and the Kobun Kokei, which are highly regarded as imperial editions published during the Keicho period. His poetry includes the Fifty Poems Produced by Goyozei-in and his diary includes the Record of the Investiture of Titles in the New Year of Keicho Year 6.

(Tsuneharu Fujita)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：元和3.8.26(1617.9.25)
生年：元亀2.12.15(1571.12.31)
安土桃山・江戸前期の天皇。誠仁親王の第1王子,母は新上東門院晴子(勧修寺晴右の娘)。初め和仁,慶長3(1598)年12月周仁と改名。天正14(1586)年9月17日立親王。同7月父親王が皇位を継承する前に亡くなっていたため,11月7日正親町天皇の譲位を受けて践祚,同25日即位。慶長16年3月27日政仁親王へ譲位。その在位期間は豊臣秀吉による天下統一,徳川家康による江戸幕府創設といった時期であり,また戦国期を辛くも生き延びた天皇を始めとする朝廷社会の復権の時期であった。しかし,天正14年12月19日太政大臣に任じられた秀吉は,前関白近衛前久の娘前子を猶子とし,新天皇の女御として入内させ,外戚の地位についた。同16年4月14日の聚楽第行幸は,その行列の華やかさとは裏腹に,秀吉の書いたシナリオ通りに,豊臣政権の実質的な成立を天下に知らせる一面すら持っていた。一方,慶長14年6月の宮女密通事件に対する幕府の措置への不満から,天皇は譲位をほのめかしたものの,家康により延期させられた。翌15年譲位を巡る確執は,近衛信尹の日記『三藐院記』に「たゝなきになき申候」とあるように,結果的に家康に屈伏せしめられた。このように,この間朝廷の経済的な復興とあいまって,天皇の即位と譲位や,あるいは古代以来天皇の役割であった改元や官位叙任権までが,幕府主導で再編成されていくこととなった。学問を深く愛した天皇は,『古今和歌集』の秘訣を伝える細川幽斎が関ケ原の戦で丹後田辺城に籠城したため,助けようと勅使を派遣したことで知られている。また,木製活字を作らせ印行させた『日本書紀神代巻』『古文孝経』などは,慶長勅版として高く評価されるものである。詠歌に『後陽成院御製詠五十首』,日記に『慶長六年正月叙位記』などがある。

(藤田恒春)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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