Empress Kōgyoku

Empress Kōgyoku, also known as Empress Saimei, was a monarch of Japan who ruled twice and is considered the 35thImperial Household Agency (Kunaichō): 皇極(こうぎょく)天皇 (35) and 齊明(さいめい)天皇 (37) and 37th ruler according to traditional succession.bPonsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, pp. 49, 51.

Empress Kōgyoku reigned twice, first as Kōgyoku from 642 to 645, and then again as Saimei from 655 to 661.

 642: Kōgyoku became empress but stepped down after Soga no Iruka's assassination. 645: Kōgyoku abdicated to her brother, Emperor Kōtoku.  654: Emperor Kōtoku died and the throne was empty.  655: Kōgyoku became empress again, now known as Saimei.  661: Saimei died and the throne was vacant again.

This one woman ruled twice from 642 to 645 and from 655 to 661..Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gokanshō, p. 265–267; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. p. 130–134; Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). 

Kōgyoku was a Japanese empress who ruled twice in the 7th century. She was the second woman to rule as empress, after Suiko-tennō. Six more women became empresses after her.

References

Category:661 deaths
Category:594 births
Category:Emperors and empresses
Category:Japanese imperial family