Empress Jitō

was the 41st Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (Kunaichō):  持統天皇 (41) according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 54.

Jitō's reign started in 686 and ended in 697.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, p. 59; Brown, Delmer. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 269-270.  Historians consider details about the life of Empress Jitō to be possibly legendary, but probable.Kelly, Charles F. "Kofun Culture," Japanese Archaeology. April 27, 2009; retrieved 2011-10-18. The name Jitō-tennō was created for him posthumously by later generations.

The conventionally accepted names and sequence of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kammu, who was the 50th monarch of the Yamato dynasty.Aston, William George. (1896). Nihongi, pp. 109.

In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to be empress.  The two female monarchs before Jitō were (a) Suiko and (b) Kōgyoku/Saimei.  The five women monarchs after Jitō were (c) Gemmei, (d) Genshō, (e) Kōken/Shōtoku, (f) Meishō, and (g) Go-Sakuramachi.

Traditional narrative
Before she became the monarch, this princess's personal name (imina) was , or alternately Uno.Brown, p. 270.

Princess Uno was the daughter of Emperor Tenji and she was the wife of Emperor Temmu, who was Tenji's brother.Varley, H. Paul. Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 137.

Events of Jitō's life
In this period, the court and the government was centered at Fujiwara Palace in Yamato.

 686 : In the 15th year of Emperor Temmu's reign, he died. The succession (senso) was in effect received by his wife.  Princess Uno wanted to ensure that her son, Prince Kusakabe, would become the next monarch.Titsingh, pp. 59–60; Brown,  p. 270.
 690 : In the 4th year of the period in which Princess Uno functioned as monarch, Prince Kusabake died.Titsingh, p. 60; Brown,  p. 270.
 691 : Princess Uno was formally established as the monarch (sokui); and she became known as Empress Jitō.Titsingh, pp. 60.  This was confirmed in ceremonies.Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami. Compare Imperial Household Agency (Kunaichō),  Ceremony of Accession (Sokui-no-Rei). Retrieved 2011-12-23.
 691 : Jito's grandson, was then named as Jitō's successor; and he would become known as Emperor Mommu.
 697 : In the 11th year of Empress Jitō's reign, she abdicated. In retirement, she took the post-reign title Daijō-tennō.  After this, other emperors who abdicated were known by the same title.
 702 (Taihō 2): Daijō-tennō Jitō died.Titsingh, pp. 62.


After her death
The actual site of Jitō's grave is known.  This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.

The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Jitō's mausoleum.  It is formally named Ochi-no-Okanoe no misasagi.Ponsonby-Fane, p. 420.

Poetry
The Man'yōshū includes a waka poem said to have been composed by Jitō

After the death of the Emperor TemmuNippon Gakujutsu Shinkōkai, (1940). Man'yōshū. p. 18; this waka is numbered 42.
Oh, the autumn foliage
Of the hill of Kamioka!Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkōkai, p. 18 n1; this would be the so-called "Thunder Hill" in the village of Asuka near Nara.
My good Lord and Sovereign
Would see it in the evening
And ask of it in the morning.
On that very hill from afar
I gaze, wondering
If he sees it to-day,
Or asks of it to-morrow.
Sadness I feel at eve,
And heart-rending grief at morn --
The sleeves of my coarse-cloth robe
Are never for a moment dry.

 Related pages 
 Emperor of Japan
 List of emperors of Japan
 Japanese imperial family tree
 Japanese empresses

 References 

 Other websites 

 Asuka Historical National Government Park:  image of Mausoleum Emperor Temmu and Empress Jitō , exterior view

Category:645 births
Category:702 deaths
Category:Emperors of Japan
Category:Japanese poets