Iitoyo Iide empress

Iitoyo (飯豊青皇女, 440–485) was a Japanese imperial princess and allegedly empress regnant for a short period between Emperor Seinei and Emperor Kenzō.

Given names

is also referred to as , , and . Her primary name Iitoyo is an old Japanese word for an owl ("いひとよ"), "Oshinumi" is the name of a place in Katsuragi, while the origin of Aomi remains unknown. It's also noted that Iitoyo has also been given the posthumous names: Seitei–tenno and 'Tsunuzashi-tenno. This latter title was more than likely assigned to her by later generations as there is no evidence to suggest that the title tennō (meaning "emperor") was used during the 5th century for Japanese monarchs.

Traditional narrative The Japanese have traditionally accepted this royal's historical existence, and a mausoleum (misasagi) for Iitoyo is currently maintained. The following information available is taken from the pseudo-historical Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, which are collectively known as or Japanese chronicles. These chronicles include legends and myths, as well as potential historical facts that have since been exaggerated and/or distorted over time. Princess Iitoyo was born sometime in 440 AD and is also referred to as . While both chronicles agree that Iitoyo descended from Emperor Richū, the exact degree of this relationship is told differently. According to the Kojiki, Iitoyo was born to and was the younger sister of the imperial prince Ichinobe no Oshiwa. Alternatively, the Nihon Shoki states that Iitoyo was the daughter of Ichinobe no Oshiwa and his wife , which would make her a sister of Woke and Oke and a grandchild of Emperor Richū.

Both of the chronicles (Kiki) are in agreement that after the death of the 20th Emperor Ankō (r. 453–456), his brother murdered all rivals who could claim the throne and then ruled as the 21st Emperor Yūryaku (r. 456 – 479). Notably, his victims included his cousin Prince Ichinobe no Oshiwa, who was the eldest son and crown prince of Emperor Richū. Oshiwa's sons Woke and Ōke fled to the countryside after his murder and sought refuge under the care of a muraji. She then appears to have taken over as regent until the governor of Harima province sent a message to the capital that he had found Princes Woke and Ōke. Iitoyo then gave the order to bring her nephews to her in the palace, where after some debate Ōke ceded the throne to Woke, who became Emperor Kenzō.

Alternatively, the Nihon Shoki states that two grandsons of Emperor Richū were eventually found and adopted by Emperor Seinei. Sometime in 482 AD, Prince Oke was appointed as Crown Prince while Woke was made a Royal Prince. Princess Iitoyo's death in 485 AD and burial place is only recorded in the Nihon Shoki. She is also mentioned by the Buddhist monk Jien, who supports the idea of Iitoyo being a reigning empress in the 1219 Japanese historical work Gukanshō; "She was called Empress Iitoyo and it is said that her reign was in the kinoe-ne year of the 60-year cycle."

Modern scholars continue to debate Iitoyo's exact role with different theories coming forward. Professor Delmer Brown noted that "her reign is not found in the ordinary Imperial chronologies." He also questioned the need for a regency as the state was "very well governed" during the reigns of Prince Ōke and Woke. Ethnologist Shinobu Orikuchi regards Iitoyo as the "first historical reigning Empress of Japan" who combines the roles of sovereign and shaman. However, he also acknowledged the viewpoints of Orikuchi and Yoshiaki.