Emperor Taisho

The 123rd Emperor according to the Imperial Lineage (reigned 1912-26). Born on August 31, 1879 as the third son of Emperor Meiji. His birth mother was Sawarabi no Tenji Yanagihara Naruko. His name was Yoshihito and his title was Harunomiya. He was raised by Nakayama Tadayasu and Yoshiko during his childhood, and on his birthday in 1889 (Meiji 22), he was proclaimed Crown Prince. In November of the same year, he became Crown Prince, and was commissioned as an ensign in the army and navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant in 1909 (Meiji 42). In 1900, he married Kujo Michitaka's fourth daughter, Sadako (Empress Teimei), and had four children: Hirohito (Emperor Showa), Yasuhito (Prince Chichibu), Nobuhito (Prince Takamatsu), and Takahito (Prince Mikasa). On July 30, 1912, he ascended to the throne upon the death of Emperor Meiji, and the era name was changed to Taisho. His enthronement ceremony was held in November 1915 (Taisho 4). Shortly after his birth, he suffered from meningitis, and although he later recovered, his health deteriorated from the year after the enthronement ceremony, and he was unable to fully engage in government affairs during World War I. From 1919 onwards, he also withdrew from attending the opening ceremony of the Imperial Diet. In 1921, he appointed Crown Prince Hirohito as regent. He died on December 25, 1926. He was buried in Tama Mausoleum.

[Masaomi Yui]

"Records of the Virtues of the Three Emperors of the Meiji, Taisho, and Present Era" edited by Ikujiro Watanabe (1933, Shotokukai)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

皇統譜にいう第123代天皇（在位1912～26）。明治12年8月31日、明治天皇の第3皇子として誕生。生母は早蕨典侍(さわらびのてんじ)柳原愛子(やなぎはらなるこ)。名は嘉仁(よしひと)、称号は明宮(はるのみや)。幼時は中山忠能(なかやまただやす)・慶子(よしこ)に養育され、1889年（明治22）の誕生日に東宮(とうぐう)宣下があり、同年11月皇太子にたち、陸軍ならびに海軍少尉に任官、1909年（明治42）には同中将にまで累進。1900年、九条道孝(くじょうみちたか)の四女節子(さだこ)（貞明皇后(ていめいこうごう)）と結婚、裕仁(ひろひと)（昭和天皇）、雍仁(やすひと)（秩父宮(ちちぶのみや)）、宣仁(のぶひと)（高松宮(たかまつのみや)）、崇仁(たかひと)（三笠宮(みかさのみや)）の4子をあげた。12年7月30日、明治天皇の死により践祚(せんそ)、大正と改元、1915年（大正4）11月即位式を挙行した。生誕まもなく髄膜炎を患い、その後健康を取り戻したが、即位式の翌年ころから健康が優れず、第一次世界大戦期には政務を十分とることができず、1919年以降は帝国議会開院式の出席も取りやめとなった。1921年皇太子裕仁を摂政(せっしょう)に任じた。1926年12月25日死去。多摩陵に葬られた。

［由井正臣］

『渡辺幾治郎監修『明治・大正・今上三帝聖徳録』（1933・頌徳会）』

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