Long, long ago, Tama-yori-hime, daughter of the Sea God, had a child
with Hiko-nagisa-ta u-gaya-fuki-ahezu no Mikoto. They named him
Kami-Yamato-Ihare-Biko. He was the first Emperor of Japan or
Tenno, under the name of Jimmu. Here is his lineage.
Early Periods
The dates for the first emperors should not be taken too
seriously. Consider how long most of the reigns are.
Emperor Jimmu 660-585 BC
Emperor Suizei 581-549 BC
Emperor Annei 549-511 BC
Emperor Itoku 510-477 BC
Emperor Kosho 475-393 BC
Emperor Koan 392-291 BC
Emperor Korei 290-215 BC
Emperor Kogen 214-158 BC
Emperor Kaika 158-98 BC
Emperor Sujin 97-30 BC
Emperor Suinin 29 BC-70 AD
Emperor Keiko 71-130
Emperor Seimu 131-190
Emperor Chuai 192-200
Regent Jingu 201-269
Emperor Ojin 270-310
Emperor Nintoku 313-399
Emperor Richu 400-405
Emperor Hanzei 406-410
Emperor Ingyo 412-453
Emperor Anko 453-456
Emperor Yuryaku 456-479
Emperor Seinei 480-484
Emperor Kenzo 485-487
Emperor Ninken 488-498
Emperor Buretsu 498-506
Emperor Keitai 507-531
Emperor Ankan 531-535
Emperor Senka 535-539
Emperor Kimmei 539-571
Emperor Bidatsu 572-585
Emperor Yomei 585-587
Emperor Sushun 587-592
Empress Suiko 592-628
Emperor Jomei 629-641
Empress Kogyoku 642-645
Emperor Kotoku 645-654
Empress Saimei 655-661
Emperor Tenji 662-671
Emperor Kobun 671-672
Emperor Temmu 673-686
Empress Jito 690-697
Emperor Mommu 697-707
Empress Gemmei 707-715
Nara period
Empress Gensho 715-724
Emperor Shomu 724-749
Empress Koken 749-758
Emperor Junnin 758-764
Empress Shotoku 764-770
Emperor Konin 770-781
Emperor Kammu 781-806
Heian period
Emperor Heizei 806-809
Emperor Saga 809-823
Emperor Junna 823-833
Emperor Nimmyo 833-850
Emperor Montoku 850-858
Emperor Seiwa 858-876
Emperor Yozei 876-884
Emperor Koko 884-887
Emperor Uda 887-897
Emperor Daigo 897-930
Emperor Suzaku 930-946
Emperor Murakami 946-967
Emperor Reizei 967-969
Emperor Enyu 969-984
Emperor Kazan 984-986
Emperor Ichijo 986-1011
Emperor Sanjo 1011-1016
Emperor Go-Ichijo 1016-1036
Emperor Go-Suzaku 1036-1045
Emperor Go-Reizei 1045-1068
Emperor Go-Sanjo 1068-1072
Emperor Shirakawa 1072-1086
Emperor Horikawa 1086-1107
Emperor Toba 1107-1123
Emperor Sutoku 1123-1141
Emperor Konoe 1141-1155
Emperor Go-Shirakawa 1155-1158
Emperor Nijo 1158-1165
Emperor Rokujo 1165-1168
Emperor Takakura 1168-1180
Emperor Antoku 1180-1183
Kamakura period
As the Heike Monogatari says, Emperor Antoku died at the battle of
Dan-no-ura, which ended the Heike wars. Then Go-Toba,
who was a 4-year-old child, became emperor. He appointed Yoritomo as
Shogun. The relationship between the emperors, the retired emperors and
the shoguns were very complex, so the following lists are only
approximations.
Emperors Shoguns
Emperor Go-Toba 1183-1198 Minamoto Yoritomo 1192
Emperor Tsuchimikado 1198-1210 Minamoto Yoriie 1202
Emperor Juntoku 1210-1221 Minamoto Sanetomo 1203
Emperor Chukyo 1221
Emperor Go-Horikawa 1221-1232 Fujiwara Yoritsune 1226
Emperor Shijo 1232-1242
Emperor Go-Saga 1242-1246 Fujiwara Yoritsugu 1244
Emperor Go-Fukakusa 1246-1249 Munetaka-Shinno 1252
Emperor Kameyama 1259-1274 Koreyasu-Shinno 1266
Emperor Go-Uda 1274-1287
Emperor Fushimi 1288-1298 Hisaakira-Shinno 1289
Emperor Go-Fushimi 1298-1301 Morikuni-Shinno 1308
Emperor Go-Nijo 1301-1308 Morinaga-Shinno 1333
Emperor Hanazono 1308-1318 Narinaga-Shinno 1334
Muromachi Period
Go-Daigo, who became emperor in 1318, tried several times to wrest power
from the shoguns. He failed, but the Kamakura dynasty collapsed and was
replaced by the Ashikaga dynasty, which relocated the shogunal headquarters from Kamakura to Muromachi Avenue in Kyoto. During several decades, there were also
two rival emperors.
Emperors Shoguns
Southern Dynasty Northern Dynasty
Go-Daigo 1318-1338 Kogon 1331-1333 Ashikaga Takauji 1338
Go-Murakami 1339-1368 Komyo 1336-1348 Ashikaga Yoshiakira 1358
Suko 1348-1351 Ashikaga Yoshimitsu 1367
Go-Kogon 1352-1371 Ashikaga Yoshimochi 1395
Chokei 1368-1383 Go-Enyu 1371-1382 Ashikaga Yoshikazu 1423
Go-Kameyama 1383-1392 Go-Komatsu 1382-1392 Ashikaga Yoshinori 1428
Ashikaga Yoshikatsu 1441
Ashikaga Yoshimasa 1449
Ashikaga Yoshihisa 1474
Emperor Go-Komatsu 1392-1412 Ashikaga Yoshitane 1490
Emperor Shoko 1412-1428 Ashikaga Yoshizumi 1493
Emperor Go-Hanazono 1429-1464 Ashikaga Yoshitane 1508
Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado 1465-1500 Ashikaga Yoshiharu 1510
Emperor Go-Kashiwabara 1500-1526 Ashikaga Yoshiteru 1545
Emperor Go-Nara 1526-1557 Ashikaga Yoshihide 1568
Emperor Ogimachi 1557-1586 Ashikaga Yoshiaki 1568
Azuchi-Momoyama period
Emperor Go-Yozei 1586-1611
Edo period
Emperors Shoguns
Emperor Go-Mizunoo 1611-1629 Tokugawa Ieyasu 1603
Empress Meisho 1630-1643 Tokugawa Hidetada 1605
Emperor Go-Komyo 1643-1654 Tokugawa Iemitsu 1622
Emperor Go-Sai 1656-1663 Tokugawa Ietsuna 1651
Emperor Reigen 1663-1687 Tokugawa Tsunayoshi 1680
Emperor Higashiyama 1687-1709 Tokugawa Ienobu 1709
Emperor Nakamikado 1710-1735 Tokugawa Ietsugu 1713
Emperor Sakuramachi 1735-1747 Tokugawa Yoshimune 1716
Emperor Momozono 1747-1762 Tokugawa Ieshige 1745
Empress Go-Sakuramachi 1763-1770 Tokugawa Ieharu 1760
Emperor Go-Momozono 1771-1779 Tokugawa Ienari 1786
Emperor Kokaku 1780-1817 Tokugawa Ieyoshi 1837
Emperor Ninko 1817-1846 Tokugawa Iesada 1853
Emperor Komei 1847-1866 Tokugawa Iemochi 1858
Emperor Meiji 1867-1912 Tokugawa Yoshinobu 1866
Modern period
Emperor Taisho 1912-1926
Emperor Hirohito (Showa) 1926-1989
Emperor Akihito (Heisei) 1989-2019
Emperor Naruhito (Reiwa) 2019-present