Emperor Takakura

Japanese: 高倉天皇 - たかくらてんのう

Year of death: 14 January 1181 (30 January 1181)
Year of birth: 1161.9.23
An emperor in the late Heian period. Son of Emperor Goshirakawa and Kenshunmon'in Shigeko. Given name Norihito. His mother Shigeko's older sister was Tokiko, wife of Taira no Kiyomori. At the age of three, he was adopted by Kiyomori's daughter, Moriko, wife of the regent Motozane. He was made crown prince on October 10, 1166 (Jin'an 1), at the age of six. He ascended to the throne on February 19, 1166 (Jin'an 3). He grew up under his father's cloistered government. As part of Kiyomori's policy of seeking closer ties with the imperial family, in 1172 Kiyomori's daughter Tokuko (later known as Kenreimon'in) was made empress. As Kiyomori's power expanded and friction with Emperor Goshirakawa deepened, in 1178 he made his newborn son (later known as Emperor Antoku) crown prince. Despite the Emperor's anguish, Kiyomori staged a coup in November of the following year, imprisoned the Cloistered Emperor, put an end to the cloistered government, and established a military government. He abdicated the following February and visited Itsukushima Shrine. He accompanied the Emperor when the capital was moved to Fukuhara in 1116, but due to poor health and the stress of the conflict between his father, Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa, and his father-in-law, Kiyomori, he died the following year. He excelled in poetry, music, and the flute, and was particularly skilled at playing the flute.

(Yoko Sakurai)

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

Japanese:

没年：養和1.1.14(1181.1.30)
生年：応保1.9.3(1161.9.23)
平安末期の天皇。後白河天皇と建春門院滋子の皇子。諱は憲仁。母滋子の姉は平清盛の妻時子である。3歳で清盛の娘で関白基実の妻盛子の猶子となる。仁安1(1166)年10月10日,6歳で立太子。同3年2月19日即位。父の院政のもとで成長。皇室との密接な関係を求める清盛の政策で,承安2(1172)年清盛の娘徳子(のちの建礼門院)を中宮に迎える。清盛の勢力拡大に伴い,後白河法皇との軋轢が深まるなか,治承2(1178)年,生後間もない皇子(のちの安徳天皇)を皇太子とする。天皇の苦悩にもかかわらず清盛は翌年11月クーデタを起こし,法皇を幽閉し院政をとどめ,軍事政権を敷く。翌年2月譲位し,厳島神社へ御幸する。治承4年の福原遷都へも同行するが,生来の病弱に加えて,父後白河法皇と義父清盛との対立の心労が重なり,翌年死去。詩歌管絃に優れ,特に笛は堪能であった。

(櫻井陽子)

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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