Emperor Go-Toba

Emperor Go-Toba (1180 – 1239) was the 82nd emperor of Japan. He reigned from 1183 through 1198. He came to the throne as a result of the Genpei War and is known for his persecution of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism and his conflicts with the shogun.

He was the fourth son of Emperor Takakura, and grandson of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. His mother was Bōmon Shokushi  (Empress Dowager Shichijō-in), daughter of Bōmon Nobutaka of the Fujiwara clan. His personal name  was Takahira-shinnō . He was also known as Takanari-shinnō

Go-Toba acceded to the throne at the age of three in the midst of the Genpei War. He was placed on the throne by the Minamoto (Genji), after the Taira (Heike) had abandoned Kyoto, taking the young Emperor Antoku with them. In Antoku’s absence, the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa elevated his young brother by decree; and the young child was given the acceptance of abdication rites.

The imperial regalia were still held by Antoku, thus, Go-Toba became the first emperor in Japan whose enthronement ceremony did not have the ritual transmission of the sacred treasures from a sovereign to his successor.

The Imperial Regalia of Japan are called the Three Sacred Treasures ( Sanshu no Jingi/Mikusa no Kamudakara) and consist of the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi , the mirror Yata no Kagami, and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. They represent the three primary virtues: valor (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).  These treasures were brought to earth by Ninigi-no-Mikoto, legendary ancestor of the Japanese imperial line, when his grandmother, the sun goddess Amaterasu, sent him to pacify Japan. These treasures were eventually passed down to Ninigi’s great-grandson, Emperor Jimmu, who was the first Emperor of Japan. Traditionally, they were a symbol of the emperor’s divinity as a descendant of Amaterasu, confirming his legitimacy as paramount ruler of Japan. At the battle of Dan-no-Ura, Antoku’s grandmother threw herself, Antoku, the sword, and the jewel into the sea to avoid capture. The mirror and the jewel were recovered, but the sword was lost.

During his reign, Go-Toba is known for his decree that the followers of the Pure Land sect in Kyoto, led by Hōnen, be banished or in some cases executed. Originally this was prompted by complaints of clergy in Kyoto who were concerned about the rise in popularity of the new sect, but Go-Toba personally ordered the decree after two of his ladies in waiting converted to the sect (or were seduced) without his knowledge.

In 1192 Go-Shirakawa died and Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura shogunate, making the emperor a figurehead.

In 1198 Go-Toba was forced to abdicate by the shogun. After abdication Go-Toba became a cloistered Emperor from 1198 till 1221 during reigns of three emperors, but he had much less power than cloistered emperors of the Heian period. He saw two of his sons placed as emperor and also forced to abdicate by the shogunate.

In 1221, the shogunate installed Go-Toba’s three-year-old grandson as emperor, who took the name Chūkyō. At this point, Go-Toba had had enough. He was determined to decide on lines of succession. Without consulting the shogunate, he made his announcement, and then invited potential allies to Kyoto for a great festival, which would demonstrate their allegiance. Those who attended would be loyal to him; those who refused the invitation would be loyal to the shogunate.  Several days later, the Imperial Court declared Hōjō Yoshitoki, the regent and representative of the shogunate, to be an outlaw, which started the rebellion, known as the Jōkyū War or Rebellion.

The main battle was at Uji. Here the Imperial army fought their final stand at the bridge over the river Uji where the opening battle of the Genpei War was fought, 41 years earlier. While the first battle had led to Go-Toba’s eventual enthronement, this battle led to his banishment. Go-Toba’s sons, Imperial Prince Masanari and Imperial Prince Yorihito as well as the former emperors, Tsuchimikado and Juntoku, and the recently enthroned Emperor Chūkyō, were also banished. Chūkyō was replaced with Emperor Go-Horikawa, a nephew of Go-Toba.

Go-Toba never returned but did spend his time in exile on Oki Island on culturally related pursuits. After abdication, which freed him from ceremonial duties at the palace, he had developed skills as a calligrapher, painter, musician, poet, critic, and editor. He was also very interested in  archery, equestrianism, and swordsmanship.

Go-Toba was a great lover of swords. Over the years he summoned the most talented swordsmiths in Japan to his court where they were given honorary titles and invited to teach him their craft. He became a respectable swordsmith himself, and it was his patronage and encouragement of this art that gave birth to Japan’s ‘Golden Age’ of bladesmithing.

His greatest contribution to literature is the Shin Kokinshū (The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Waka), one of three major influential waka anthologies alongside Man’yoshū  and Kokin Wakashū. He even took part in the working group as an editor. He revived the Office of Waka. He held many waka parties and waka competitions.

During his exile, he continued to edit anthologies and probably wrote Go-Toba no in gokuden (“Secret Teachings”), a short work on aesthetic criticism. One of his 31-syllable poems was chosen by Fujiwara no Teika in the popular anthology Hyakunin Isshu.

Go-Toba died and was buried on the Oki Islands.

Go-Toba had numerous consorts and children. His main wife was Empress (chūgū) Dowager Gishūmon-in also known as Fujiwara no Ninshi/Takako (1173 – 1239), daughter of regent Kujō Kanezane . Upon the death of her mother in 1201, she undertook the Buddhist precepts under the monk Hōnen.

His children included two emperors: Emperor Tsuchimikado (1196 – 1231) and Emperor Juntoku (1197 – 1242). His children also included many priests, including head priests at important temples: Imperial Prince Sonkai  (1204 – 1246) – Enryaku-ji Temple; Imperial Prince Nagahito  (1196–1249) – Ninna-ji Temple; Imperial Prince Dōkaku  (1204 – 1250) – Enryaku-ji Temple; Imperial Prince Kakunin  (1198 – 1266) – Onjō-ji Temple; and Imperial Prince Son’en (1207 – 1231) – Miidera Temple.

Imperial Prince Masanari  (1200 – 1255) who along with Imperial Prince Yorihito  (1201 – 1264) was exiled after Jōkyū Incident became a waka poet and one of the New Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry.

In keeping with his appreciation of the arts, Court ladies Taki  (?–1265), Tamba no Tsubone, Ishi, and Himehōshi were Shirabyōshi dancers, performers who were sang and danced while dressed as men.