Empress Kōgyoku , also known as , was the 35th and 37th monarch of Japan , according to the traditional order of succession . Kōgyoku ' s reign spanned the years from 642 – 645 . Her reign as Saimei encompassed 655 – 661 . In other words , The two reigns of this one woman spanned the years from 642 through 661 . In the history of Japan , Kōgyoku / Saimei was the second of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant . The sole female monarch before Kōgyoku / Saimei was ( a ) Suiko " - tennō " . The six women sovereigns reigning after Kōgyoku / Saimei were ( b ) Jitō , ( c ) Gemmei , ( d ) Genshō , ( e ) Kōken / Shōtoku , ( f ) Meishō , and ( g ) Go - Sakuramachi . Traditional narrative . Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne , her personal name ( " imina " ) was . As empress , her name would have been " Ametoyo Takara Ikashi Hitarashi hime . Princess Takara ( " Takara no miko " ) was a great - granddaughter of Emperor Bidatsu . She became the wife and Empress consort of her uncle Emperor Jomei . The Imperial marriage produced three children : Events in Kōgyoku ' s reign . During her first reign the Soga clan seized power . Her son Naka no Ōe planned a coup d ' état and slew Soga no Iruka at the court in front of her throne . The Empress , shocked by this incident , abdicated the throne . Kōgyoku ' s contemporary title would not have been " tennō " , as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō . Rather , it was presumably " Sumeramikoto " or " Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi " ( 治天下大王 ) , meaning " the great queen who rules all under heaven . " Alternatively , Kōgyoku might have been referred to as ( ヤマト大王 / 大君 ) or the " Great Queen of Yamato . " Empress Kōgyoku reigned for four years . The years of Kōgyoku ' s reign are not linked by scholars to any era or " nengō " . The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – " nengō " – was yet to be initiated during her son ' s too - brief reign . In this context , Brown and Ishida ' s translation of " Gukanshō " offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō ' s reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre - Taiho time - frame : The years of Kōgyoku ' s reign are not more specifically identified by more than one era name or " nengō " which was an innovation of Kōtoku ' s brief reign . Events in Saimei ' s reign . When Kōtoku died , his designated heir was Naka no Ōe . When Naka no Ōe ' s mother re - ascended , he continued in the role of her heir and crown prince . In this role , he could and did remain active in the political life of Japan . In the fifth year of Saimei ' s reign , Paekche in Korea was destroyed in 660 . Japan assisted Paekche loyals in an attempt to aid the revival of Paekche dynasty . Early in 661 , Saimei responded to the situation by leaving her capital in Yamato province . Her plan was to lead a military expedition to Korea . The empress stayed in Ishiyu Temporary Palace in Iyo province , today Dōgo Onsen . In May she arrived at Asakura Palace in the north part of Tsukushi province in Kyūshū , today a part of Fukuoka prefecture . The allied army of Japan and Paekche was preparing for war against Silla , but the death of the empress thwarted those plans . In 661 , Saimei died in the Asakura Palace before the army departed to Korea . In October her body was brought from Kyūshū by sea to Port Naniwa - zu ( today Osaka city ) ; and her state funeral was held in early November . Empress Saimei ruled for seven years . The years of Saimei ' s reign are not linked by scholars to any era or " nengō " . The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – " nengō " – languished until Mommu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701 . The actual site of Kōgyoku / Saimei ' s grave is known , having been identified as the Kengoshizuka tomb in the village of Asuka , Nara Prefecture . This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ( " misasagi " ) at Nara . The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Kōgyoku / Seimei ' s mausoleum . It is formally named " Ochi - no - Okanoe no misasagi " . " Kugyō " . " Kugyō " ( 公卿 ) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre - Meiji eras . In general , this elite group included only three to four men at a time . These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life ' s career . During Kōgyoku ' s reign , this apex of the " Daijō - kan " included : The " kugyō " during Saimei ' s reign included :