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