Emperor Reigen - Events of Reigen's Life

Events of Reigen's Life

• 9 July 1653: The birth of an Imperial prince who will become known by the posthumous name of Reigen-tennō.

• 1654: Prince Satohito, who is also known as Ate-no-miya, is named as heir before the death of his eldest brother, Emperor Go-Kōmyō; however, the young prince is considered too young to become emperor. It is decided that until the young heir grows older, his elder brother will accede to the throne as Emperor Go-Sai.

• 5 March 1663 (Kanbun 3, 26th day of the 1st month): Emperor Go-Sai abdicated; and Prince Satohito received the succession (senso). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Reigen formally acceded (sokui) and his reign began.

• 1665 (Kanbun 5, 6th month): Courts of inquisition were established in all the villages of Japan. These courts were charged with discovering and eliminating any vestiges of Christianity in each community.

• 1666 (Kanbun 6, 4th month): Hokke shu Buddhist religious practices are preserved for those who believe that their spiritual and moral purity may be tainted by close association with others.

• 1667 (Kanbun 7): After fire destroyed the main temple structure, work on rebuilding Nigatsu-dō (二月堂?) at Nara commenced.

• 13 February 1668 (Kanbun 8, 1st day of the 2nd month): A great fire broke out in Edo—a conflagration lasting 45 days. The disastrous fire was attributed to arson.

• 1669 (Kanbun 9):There was a famine in this year; and a military expedition was sent to northern Honshū against Shakushain's Revolt.

• 1673 (Enpō 1): There was a great fire in Kyoto.

• 21 May 1673 (Enpō 1, 5th day of the 4th month): The Chinese Buddhist teacher Ingen dies in the Obaku Zen temple, Mampukuji at Uji.

• 1675 (Enpō 3): There was a great fire in Kyoto.

• 4 June 1680 (Enpō 8, 8th day of the 5th month): Shogun Ietsuna dies; and he is succeeded by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.

• 15 June 1680 (Enpō 8, 19th day of the 5th month): Former-Emperor Go-Mizunoo died.

• 1680 (Enpō 8, 8th month): A great flood devastates Edo.

• 1680 (Enpō 8): Gokoku-ji is founded in Edo.

• 1681 (Tenna 1): Tsunyoshi's investiture as shogun.

• 5 February 1682 (Tenna 1, 28th day of the 12th month): A great fire sweeps through Edo.

• 1681 (Tenna 2): A great famine devastates Kyoto and the surrounding area.

• 1682 (Tenna 3): Tomohito-shinnō is proclaimed Crown Prince; and the ceremonial investiture is held (after being in abeyance for over 300 years).

• 26 March 1685 (Jōkyō 2, 22nd day of the 2nd month): Former-Emperor Go-Sai died; and a great comet was observed crossing the night sky.

• 2 May 1687 (Jōkyō 4, 21st day of the 3rd month): Emperor Reigen abdicates in favor of his fifth son who will come to be known as Emperor Higashiyama.

• 1687: Former-Emperor Reigen begins to rule as a cloistered emperor; and after abdication, Reigen's new home will be called the Sentō-gosho (the palace for an ex-Emperor).

• 1713: Former-Emperor Reigen enters a monastery under the name Sojō (素浄)

• 24 September 1732 (Kyōhō 17, 24th day of the 9th month): Reigen died; he was age 79.

Emperor Reigen's memory is honored and preserved at his designated Imperial mausoleum (misasagi), Tsukinowa no misasagi at Sennyū-ji in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. His immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo – Meishō, Go-Kōmyō and Go-Sai are also enshrined along with his immediate Imperial successors, including Higashiyama, Nakamikado, Sakuramachi, Momozono, Go-Sakuramachi and Go-Momozono.