Empress Gemmei (元明天皇, Gemmei-tennō?, 660 – December 29, 721), also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Gemmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715.
In the history of Japan, Gemmei was the fourth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The three female monarchs before Gemmei were: (a) Suiko, (b) Kōgyoku/Saimei, and (c) Jitō. The four women sovereigns reigning after Gemmei were (d) Genshō, (e) Kōken/Shōtoku, (f) Meishō, and (g) Go-Sakuramachi.
Read more about Empress Gemmei: Traditional Narrative, Eras of Gemmei's Reign
Famous quotes containing the word empress:
“We never really are the adults we pretend to be. We wear the mask and perhaps the clothes and posture of grown-ups, but inside our skin we are never as wise or as sure or as strong as we want to convince ourselves and others we are. We may fool all the rest of the people all of the time, but we never fool our parents. They can see behind the mask of adulthood. To her mommy and daddy, the empress never has on any clothes—and knows it.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)