Emperor Ninkō

was the 120th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 until his death in 1846, and saw further deterioration of the power of the ruling . Disasters, which included famine, combined with corruption and increasing Western interference, helped to erode public trust in the government. Emperor Ninkō revived certain court rituals and practices upon the wishes of his father. However, it is unknown what role, if any, the Emperor had in the turmoil which occurred during his reign.

His family included fifteen children from various concubines, but only three of them lived to adulthood. His fourth son, Imperial Prince Osahito, became Emperor Kōmei upon Ninkō's death in 1846. While political power at the time still resided with the , the beginnings of the (end of military government) were at hand.

Events of Ninkō's life Early life Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was . He was born on 16 March 1800 and was the fourth son of Emperor Kōkaku. He was the only child of sixteen others to survive into adulthood. Ayahito was named as crown prince in 1809, having been adopted by his father's chief wife , also known as . His birth mother was one of his father's concubines.

Reign

Prince Ayahito was enthroned as Emperor on 31 October 1817, after his father retired from the throne. Following his father the Retired Emperor's wishes, he attempted to revive certain court rituals and practices. These included, among other things, restoring the title tennō, which identified the Emperor. Among Ninkō's innovations was the establishment of the Gakushūsho (the predecessor of the Gakushūin) for the Court Nobility just outside the Imperial Palace. One major event during his reign was the Tenpō famine which lasted from 1833 to 1837. The famine was most severe in northern Honshū and was caused by flooding and cold weather.

Ninkō's reign also saw some deterioration of the Shōgun's power. Damage from the Tenpō famine and other concurring natural disasters shook the faith of the people in the ruling Shōgun. In 1837, Ōshio Heihachirō led a revolt in Osaka against corrupt officials who refused to help feed the impoverished residents of the city. That same year also had an incident take place where an American merchant vessel was driven away by coastal artillery. While order was eventually restored, long term resentment resonated with the commoners against the ruling government. It is unclear though what role, if any, the Emperor played during this period of unrest.

Emperor Ninkō died on 21 February 1846 and was enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum, , which is at Sennyū-ji in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. Also enshrined in Tsuki no wa no misasagi, at Sennyū-ji are this Emperor's immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo – Meishō, Go-Kōmyō, Go-Sai, Reigen, Higashiyama, Nakamikado, Sakuramachi, Momozono, Go-Sakuramachi, Go-Momozono and Kōkaku. The shrine complex also encompasses the misasagi of Ninkō's immediate successor – Kōmei. Empress Dowager Yoshikō is also entombed at this Imperial mausoleum complex.

Eras and Kugyō The years of Ninkō's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.

Spouse PositionName Birth Death Father Issue Kōgō later 1798 1823 Takatsukasa Masahiro First Son: Imperial Prince Yasuhito (b. 1820)First daughter: Princess Jihishin’in (b. 1823) Nyōgo later 1811 1847 Takatsukasa Masahiro Fourth Daughter: Princess Maninshu’in (b. 1829)

Concubines Name Birth Death Father Issue later 1803 1856 Ogimachi Sanemitsu Second Son: Prince Yo (b. 1825)Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Osahito (later Emperor Komei) (b. 1831)Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Katsura-no-Miya Misahito (b. 1833)Seventh Daughter: Princess Kyo (b. 1837) 1806 1861 Kanroji Kuninaga Second Daughter: Princess Nori (b. 1823)Third Daughter: Imperial Princess Katsura-no-Miya Sumiko (b. 1829)Third Son: San-no-miya (b. 1830)Fifth Daughter: Princess So (b. 1832)Sixth Daughter: Princess Tsune (b. 1836) later 1826 1865 Hashimoto Sanehisa Seventh Prince: Prince Tane (b. 1844) Eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Kazu-no-miya Chikako (b. 1846) 1795 1875 Nakayama Naruchika None 1809 1875 Imaki Sadanori Fifth son: Prince Jōjakkō-in (b. 1832)

Issue

Status Name Birth Death Mother Marriage Issue 01 First Son 1820 1821 Takatsukasa Tsunako 01 First Daughter (Stillbirth) 1823 1823 Takatsukasa Tsunako 02 Second Son 1825 1826 Ogimachi Naoko 02 Second Daughter 1825 1826 Kanroji Kiyoko 03 Third Daughter 1829 1881 Kanroji Kiyoko 04 Fourth Daughter 1829 1831 Takatsukasa Yasuko 03 Third Son 1830 1831 Kanroji Kiyoko 04 Fourth Son (Emperor Komei) 1831 1867 Ogimachi Naoko Asako Kujō Mutsuhito 05 Fifth son (Stillbirth) 1832 1832 Imaki Haruko 05 Fifth Daughter 1832 1833 Kanroji Kiyoko 06 Sixth Son 1833 1836 Ogimachi Naoko 06 Sixth Daughter (Stillbirth) 1836 1836 Kanroji Kiyoko 07 Seventh Daughter 1837 1838 Ogimachi Naoko 07 Seventh Son 1844 1845 Hashimoto Tsuneko 08 Eighth Daughter 1846 1877 Hashimoto Tsuneko Tokugawa Iemochi Tokugawa Iesato

Ancestry