Japanese Empresses - Empresses Regnant

Empresses Regnant

There were eight female imperial reigns (six female emperors including two who reigned twice) in Japan's early history between 593 and 770, and two more in the early modern period (Edo era). Although there were eight reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained. After many centuries, female reigns came to be officially prohibited only when the Imperial Household Law was issued in 1889 alongside the new Meiji Constitution.

• Empress Jingū r. 206–269 —legendary/mythical; removed from the list of Emperors in the 19th century
• Empress Suiko (554–628), r. 593–628—first ruling empress
• Empress Kōgyoku (594–661), r. 642–645—formerly Princess Takara (Empress Consort of Jomei)
• Empress Saimei (594–661), r. 655–661 (same person as Empress Kōgyoku)
• Empress Jitō (645–702), r. 690–697
• Empress Gemmei (661–721), r. 707–715
• Empress Genshō (680–748), r. 715–724—formerly Princess Hidaka
• Empress Kōken (718–770), r. 749–758
• Empress Shōtoku (718–770), r. 764–770 (same person as Empress Kōken)
• Empress Meishō (1624–1696), r. 1629–1643
• Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740–1813), r. 1762–1771—most recent ruling empress