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Princess Iitoyo

Princess Iitoyo
飯豊青皇女
Kitahanachi Otsuka Kofun where she is believed to be buried.[1]
Empress of Japan (possibly)
Reign484–485 (de facto)
PredecessorEmperor Seinei (traditional)
SuccessorEmperor Kenzō (traditional)
BornIitoyo-hime
440[a]
Died485[2][5]
Burial
Kitahanachi Otsuka Kofun
Posthumous name
Chinese-style shigō:
Princess Iitoyo (Iitoyo-hime) (飯豊青皇女)

Chinese-style shigō:
Empress Iitoyo (Iitoyo-tennō) (飯豊天皇)

Japanese-style shigō:
Oshinumi-no-iitoyo-no-ao
HouseImperial House of Japan
FatherEmperor Richū or
Ichinobe no Oshiwa
MotherKuro-hime (黒媛)[6] or
Hae-hime (荑媛)

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.[b]

Given names

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Iitoyo's entry as Empress Tsunuzashi in the Tennō list (list of emperors) by Ernest Mason Satow, Japanese Chronological Tables, 1874

Princess Iitoyo (飯豊青皇女) is also referred to as Queen Iitoyo (飯豊青尊), Oshinumi (青海郎女 or 忍海郎女), and Princess Aomi (飯豊郎女). 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.[2][5][8] 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.[9]

Traditional narrative

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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 Kiki (記紀) 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 "Aomi no Himemiko" (青海皇女).[2][10][11] 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 Kuro-hime (黒媛) and was the younger sister of the imperial prince Ichinobe no Oshiwa.[6] This would make her a daughter of Emperor Richū and aunt of the princes Woke and Oke.[12] Alternatively, the Nihon Shoki states that Iitoyo was the daughter of Ichinobe no Oshiwa and his wife Hae-hime (荑媛), which would make her a sister of Woke and Oke and a grandchild of Emperor Richū.[13]

Both of the chronicles (Kiki) are in agreement that after the death of the 20th Emperor Ankō (r. 453–456[c]), his brother murdered all rivals who could claim the throne and then ruled as the 21st Emperor Yūryaku (r. 456 – 479[c]). Notably, his victims included his cousin Prince Ichinobe no Oshiwa, who was the eldest son and crown prince of Emperor Richū.[14][15] Oshiwa's sons Woke and Ōke fled to the countryside after his murder and sought refuge under the care of a muraji.[4] Many years passed before Iitoyo's name first appeared in the chronicles in the history of the 22nd Emperor Seinei (r. 479–484[c]) (Yūryaku's son and successor). Because Seinei had no children and otherwise no close relatives, another suitable heir to the throne from the lineage of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu had to be sought.

The chronicles once again fork the narrative regarding when Woke and Ōke were found. According to the Kojiki, this search ended after Emperor Seinei's death with the discovery of Princess Iitoyo at the Tsunosashi Shrine in Katsuragi.[1][16] 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.[17] 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.[17][18]

Alternatively, the Nihon Shoki states that two grandsons of Emperor Richū were eventually found and adopted by Emperor Seinei.[19] Sometime in 482 AD, Prince Oke was appointed as Crown Prince while Woke was made a Royal Prince.[19][4] Seinei's death sometime in 484 AD (possibly January) came with a problem as his two adopted sons were described by the Kojiki to be very courteous towards each other.[17] Although Prince Oke had been appointed heir, he ceded the throne to his brother Prince Woke, who in turn ceded it back.[4] The two debated the issue for about a year while Princess Iitoyo was allegedly made regent.[4][19][20] Princess Iitoyo's death in 485 AD and burial place is only recorded in the Nihon Shoki.[13] In this continuing narrative Prince Ōke ceded the "Empire" to Prince Woke who finally accepted the throne as Emperor Kenzō.[3][4] Iitoyo was allegedly buried in a (misasagi) on Mount Haniguchi in Katsuraki.[13]

Historical assessment

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See also: Kitahanachi Otsuka Kofun
Tomb of Iitoyo.

Iitoyo is regarded by historians as a regent during the early 5th century whose existence is generally accepted as fact. It remains unknown, however if she was viewed historically as a regent or monarch in her own right.[7] After Empress Jingū, Princess Iitoyo is the second woman described in the chronicles as having governed the country for a certain period of time. But she is generally not recognized as a ruling empress by historians and she does not appear in the official list of emperors of Japan.

Aside from the Kiki, Iitoyo is also referred to as "Empress [Regnant]" (飯豊天皇 Iitoyo-tennō) in the Fusō Ryakuki and the Honchō Kōin Jōun-roku [ja], a 12th-century and a 15th-century collection of historical texts, respectively.[7][21] 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. He states there that "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." Brown appeared to be confused as he said that the state was "very well governed" during the reigns of Prince Ōke and Woke.[22] Professor Ben-Ami Shillony mentions that "[Iitoyo] was not accorded the status of a reigning empress by historians".[23] However, he also acknowledged the viewpoints of other historians which include Shinobu Orikuchi and Kusudo Yoshiaki.[23] Orikuchi regards Iitoyo as the "first historical reigning Empress of Japan" who combines the roles of sovereign and shaman.[23] Yoshiaki points out that the Nihon Shoki refers to her death as bō, which is reserved exclusively for emperors.[23]

See also

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^ Most scholars agree with the Nihon Shoki, where Princess Iitoyo is described as being the aunt of Princes Woke and Oke.[2][3][4]
  2. ^ She was most likely an empress regnant (at least in the traditional narrative) but has also been referred to as a "Placeholder Empress".[7]
  3. ^ a b c These dates are traditional.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Imperial Mausoleum of Empress Iitoyo at the Hill of Hanikuchi". Guidoor. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Edmond Papinot (1909). Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan. Librairie Sansaisha. p. 195.
  3. ^ a b Ponsonby-Fane, Richard (1915). "Kenso (485–487)". The Imperial Family of Japan. Ponsonby Memorial Society. p. 14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Francis Brinkley (1915). "Chapter XIII: The Protohistoric Sovereigns (continued)". A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era. Encyclopædia Britannica. pp. 118–119.
  5. ^ a b Japan Society of London (1918). Transactions and Proceedings of the Japan Society, London, Volumes 16-18. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Company. p. 76.
  6. ^ a b Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882). "Sect. CXXXI - Emperor Richū (Part I - Genealogies)". A translation of the "Kojiki" or Records of ancient matters. R. Meiklejohn and Co. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Cathy (December 8, 2022). "More than placeholders: The 'century of empresses' against modern succession laws". Melbourne Asia Review (12). Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Ernest Mason Satow in the Japanese Chronological Tables (1874).
  9. ^ Brinkley, Frank (1915). A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the end of the Meiji Era. Encyclopaedia Britannica Company. p. 21. Posthumous names for the earthly Mikados were invented in the reign of Emperor Kanmu (782–805), i.e., after the date of the compilation of the Records and the Chronicles.
  10. ^ William George Aston (1896). "Book XII: Richū Tenno". Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. (Volume 1). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. p. 306.
  11. ^ "Genealogy". Reichsarchiv (in Japanese). April 30, 2010. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  12. ^ Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882). "Emperor Seinei (Part II - Princes Ohoke and Woke are Discovered". A translation of the "Kojiki" or Records of ancient matters. R. Meiklejohn and Co. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c William George Aston (1896). "Book XV: Kenzo Tenno". Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. (Volume 1). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. p. 383.
  14. ^ William George Aston (1896). "The Emperor Oho-Hatsuse Wakatake". Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. (Volume 1). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. pp. 333–372.
  15. ^ Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882). "Sect. CXLVIII - Emperor Anko (Part V - Prince Oho-Hatsuse Slays Prince Oshiha)". A translation of the "Kojiki" or Records of ancient matters. R. Meiklejohn and Co. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  16. ^ Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882). "Sect. CLXIII - Emperor Seinei (Part I - Search for a successor to him)". A translation of the "Kojiki" or Records of ancient matters. R. Meiklejohn and Co. Archived from the original on May 21, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882). "Emperor Seinei (Part II - Princes Ohoke and Woke are Discovered". A translation of the "Kojiki" or Records of ancient matters. R. Meiklejohn and Co. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  18. ^ Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882). "Emperor Seinei (Part IV - Prince Ohoke Cedes the Empire to Prince Woke". A translation of the "Kojiki" or Records of ancient matters. R. Meiklejohn and Co.
  19. ^ a b c William George Aston (1896). "Book XV: Seinei Tenno". Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. (Volume 1). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. pp. 338 & 373–377.
  20. ^ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard (1915). "Seinei (480–484)". The Imperial Family of Japan. Ponsonby Memorial Society. p. 14.
  21. ^ Katō, Kenkichi (2001). "Iitoyo-ao no Ōjo" 飯豊青皇女. Encyclopedia Nipponica (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  22. ^ Brown, Delmer M. (1979). "(25) Emperor Ninken". A Translation and Study of the Gukanshō, an Interpretative History of Japan Written in 1219. Gukanshō. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-520-03460-0.
  23. ^ a b c d Ben-Ami Shillony (2021). Enigma of the Emperors: Sacred Subservience in Japanese History. Brill. p. 38.

Bibliography

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  • Louis-Frédéric (translated by Käthe Roth): Japan Encyclopedia, Harvard University Press 2005.
  • Ernest Mason Satow: Japanese Chronological Tables (et al.), Reprinted by Yedo 1874, Bristol: Ganesha 1998.
  • Ben-Ami Shillony: Enigma of the Emperors: Sacred subservience in Japanese History, Global Oriental 2005.
  • Joan R. Piggott: Chieftain Pairs and Corulers: Female Sovereignty in Early Japan, in: Hitomi Tonomura, Anne Walthall, Wakita Haruko (ed.): Woman and Class in Japanese History, Michigan Monograph Series in Japahese Studies, No. 25, Ann Arbor: Center for Japanese Studies, University Michigan
Regnal titles
Preceded by Empress of Japan (possibly)
484–485 		Succeeded by