Japanese Emperors

This list is comprised of Japanese Emperors and Empresses (天皇 Tenno). The first emperor, Jimmu, and his successors are widely considered to be legendary. It is not until the 6th-century that names and dates can be assigned with more certainty. For much of their history the emperors have only been ceremonial rulers, with actual power in the hands of others (such as the shoguns who ruled from 1192 to 1867).

The name listed is the personal name, if known. Deceased emperors are in fact usually referred to by a posthumous name. Since the time of emperor Meiji, this posthumous name coincides with the name of the era.

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NameHistorical NameYearsType
JimmuJimmuc. 660-c. 585 BCemperor
SuizeiSuizeic. 581-c. 549 BCemperor
AnneiAnneic. 549-c. 511 BCemperor
ItokuItokuc. 510-c. 476 BCemperor
KoshoKoshoc. 475-c. 393 BCemperor
KoanKoanc. 392-c. 291 BCemperor
KoreiKoreic. 290-c. 215 BCemperor
KogenKogenc. 214-c. 158 BCemperor
KaikaKaikac. 157-c. 98 BCemperor
SujinSujinc. 97-c. 30 BCemperor
SuininSuininc. 29 BC-c. 70emperor
KeikoKeikoc. 71-c. 130emperor
SeimuSeimuc. 131-c. 191emperor
ChuaiChuaic. 192-c. 200emperor
JinguJinguc. 201-c. 269empress
OjinOjinc. 270-c. 310emperor
NintokuNintokuc. 313-c. 399emperor
RichuRichuc. 400-c. 405emperor
HanzeiHanzeic. 406-c. 410emperor
IngyoIngyoc. 410-c. 453emperor
AnkoAnkoc. 453-c. 456emperor
OhatsuseYuryakuc. 456-c. 479emperor
ShirakaSeineic. 480-c. 484emperor
OkaKenzoc. 485-c. 487emperor
OyokeNinkenc. 488-c. 498emperor
BuretsuBuretsuc. 498-c. 506emperor
KeitaiKeitaic. 507-c. 531emperor
AnkanAnkanc. 531-c. 536emperor
SenkaSenkac. 536-c. 539emperor
KinmeiKinmei539-571emperor
BidatsuBidatsu572-585emperor
OeYomei585-587emperor
HatsusebeSushun587-592emperor
NukatabeSuiko593-628empress
TamuraJomei629-641emperor
TakaraKogyoku642-645; 655-661empress
KaruKotoku645-654emperor
Naka-no-OeTenji661-671emperor
OtomoKobun672emperor
OamaTenmu673-686emperor
UnonosararaJito686-697empress
KaruMonmu697-707emperor
AheGenmei707-715empress
HidakaGensho715-724empress
ObitoShomu724-749emperor
AbeKoken749-758; 765-770empress
OiJunnin758-764emperor
ShirakabeKonin770-781emperor
YamabeKanmu781-806emperor
AteHeizei806-809emperor
KaminoSaga809-823emperor
OtomoJunna823-833emperor
MasaraNinmyo833-850emperor
MichiyasuMontoku850-858emperor
KorehitoSeiwa858-876emperor
SadaakiraYozei876-884emperor
TokiyatsuKoko884-887emperor
SadamiUda887-897emperor
AtsuhitoDaigo897-930emperor
HiroakiraSuzaku930-946emperor
NariakiraMurakami946-967emperor
NorihiraReizei967-969emperor
MorihiraEn'yu969-984emperor
MorosadaKazan984-986emperor
KanehitoIchijo986-1011emperor
IyasadaSanjo1011-1016emperor
AtsuhiraGo-Ichijo1016-1036emperor
AtsunagaGo-Suzaku1036-1045emperor
ChikahitoGo-Reizei1045-1068emperor
TakahitoGo-Sanjo1068-1073emperor
SadahitoShirakawa1073-1086emperor
TaruhitoHorikawa1087-1107emperor
MunehitoToba1107-1123emperor
AkihitoSutoku1123-1142emperor
NarihitoKonoe1142-1155emperor
MasahitoGo-Shirakawa1155-1158emperor
MorihitoNijo1158-1165emperor
NobuhitoRokujo1165-1168emperor
NorihitoTakakura1168-1180emperor
TokohitoAntoku1180-1185emperor
TakahiraGo-Toba1183-1198emperor
TamehitoTsuchimikado1198-1210emperor
MorinariJuntoku1210-1221emperor
KanenariChukyo1221emperor
YutahitoGo-Horikawa1221-1232emperor
MitsuhitoShijo1232-1242emperor
KunihitoGo-Saga1242-1246emperor
HisahitoGo-Fukakusa1246-1260emperor
TsunehitoKameyama1259-1274emperor
YohitoGo-Uda1274-1287emperor
HirohitoFushimi1287-1298emperor
TanehitoGo-Fushimi1298-1301emperor
KuniharuGo-Nijo1301-1308emperor
TomihitoHanazono1308-1318emperor
TakaharuGo-Daigo1318-1339emperor
NoriyoshiGo-Murakami1339-1368emperor
YutanariChokei1368-1383emperor
HironariGo-Kameyama1383-1392emperor
MotohitoGo-Komatsu1392-1412emperor
MihitoShoko1412-1428emperor
HikohitoGo-Hanazono1428-1464emperor
FusahitoGo-Tsuchimikado1464-1500emperor
KatsuhitoGo-Kashiwabara1500-1526emperor
TomohitoGo-Nara1526-1557emperor
MichihitoOgimachi1557-1586emperor
KatahitoGo-Yozei1586-1611emperor
KotohitoGo-Mizunoo1611-1629emperor
OkikoMeisho1629-1643empress
TsuguhitoGo-Komyo1643-1655emperor
NagahitoGo-Sai1655-1663emperor
SatohitoReigen1663-1687emperor
AsahitoHigashiyama1687-1709emperor
YasuhitoNakamikado1709-1735emperor
TeruhitoSakuramachi1735-1747emperor
ToohitoMomozono1747-1762emperor
ToshikoGo-Sakuramachi1762-1770empress
HidehitoGo-Momozono1771-1779emperor
TomohitoKokaku1780-1817emperor
AyahitoNinko1817-1846emperor
OsahitoKomei1846-1867emperor
MutsuhitoMeiji1867-1912emperor
YoshihitoTaisho1912-1926emperor
HirohitoShowa1926-1989emperor
AkihitoAkihito1989-2019emperor
NaruhitoNaruhito2019-emperor