Japanese Emperors

Naruhito, Emperor of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

The Japanese Imperial Family is the longest reigning dynasty in the world. The first known Emperor was Jimmu who lived from 660 B.C. to 585 B.C. The Imperial Family is therefore approximately 2,600 years old. The Japanese believe that Emperor Jimmu was descended from the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, who created Japan. All subsequent Japanese emperors have claimed descent from Emperor Jimmu and, as a result, they were revered as a living God. In 1946, Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa) renounced his divinity by publicly announcing, “I am no more divine. I am a human.”

For more information, see:

Years below indicate the length of the monarch’s reign.  Monarch links are to Unofficial Royalty biography articles.

Legendary Emperors (660 BC – 269 AD)

  • 660–585 BC Emperor Jimmu
  • 581–549 BC Emperor Suizei
  • 549–511 BC Emperor Annei
  • 510–476 BC Emperor Itoku
  • 475–393 BC Emperor Kōshō
  • 392–291 BC Emperor Kōan
  • 290–215 BC Emperor Kōrei
  • 214–158 BC Emperor Kōgen
  • 157–98 BC Emperor Kaika
  • 97–30 BC Emperor Sujin
  • 29 BC–70 AD Emperor Suinin
  • 71–130 Emperor Keikō
  • 131–191 Emperor Seimu
  • 192–200 Emperor Chūai
  • 201–269 Empress Jingū

Kofun Period (269–539)

  • 270–310 Emperor Ōjin
  • 313–399 Emperor Nintoku
  • 400–405 Emperor Richū
  • 406–410 Emperor Hanzei
  • 411–453 Emperor Ingyō
  • 453–456 Emperor Ankō
  • 456–479 Emperor Yūryaku
  • 480–484 Emperor Seinei
  • 485–487 Emperor Kenzō]
  • 488–498 Emperor Ninken
  • 498–506 Emperor Buretsu
  • 507–531 Emperor Keitai
  • 531–535 Emperor Ankan
  • 535–539 Emperor Senka

Asuka Period (539–710)

  • 539–571 Emperor Kinmei
  • 572–585 Emperor Bidatsu
  • 585–587 Emperor Yōmei
  • 587–592 Emperor Sushun
  • 592–628 Empress Suiko
  • 629–641 Emperor Jomei
  • 642–645 Empress Kōgyoku
  • 645–654 Emperor Kōtoku
  • 655–661 Empress Saimei (second reign of Empress Kōgyoku)
  • 661–672 Emperor Tenji
  • 672 Emperor Kōbun
  • 672–686 Emperor Tenmu
  • 686–697 Empress Jitō
  • 697–707 Emperor Monmu

Nara Period (710–794)

  • 707–715 Empress Genmei
  • 715–724 Empress Genshō
  • 724–749 Emperor Shōmu
  • 749–758 Empress Kōken
  • 758–764 Emperor Junnin
  • 764–770 Empress Shōtoku (second reign of Empress Kōken)
  • 770–781 Emperor Kōnin
  • 781–806 Emperor Kanmu

Heian Period (794–1185)

  • 806–809 Emperor Heizei
  • 809–823 Emperor Saga
  • 823–833 Emperor Junna
  • 833–850 Emperor Ninmyō
  • 850–858 Emperor Montoku
  • 858–876 Emperor Seiwa
  • 876–884 Emperor Yōzei
  • 884–887 Emperor Kōkō
  • 887–897 Emperor Uda
  • 897–930 Emperor Daigo
  • 930–946 Emperor Suzaku
  • 946–967 Emperor Murakami
  • 967–969 Emperor Reizei
  • 969–984 Emperor En’yū
  • 984–986 Emperor Kazan
  • 986–1011 Emperor Ichijō
  • 1011–1016 Emperor Sanjō
  • 1016–1036 Emperor Go-Ichijō
  • 1036–1045 Emperor Go-Suzaku
  • 1045–1068 Emperor Go-Reizei
  • 1068–1073 Emperor Go-Sanjō
  • 1073–1087 Emperor Shirakawa
  • 1087–1107 Emperor Horikawa
  • 1107–1123 Emperor Toba
  • 1123–1142 Emperor Sutoku
  • 1142–1155 Emperor Konoe
  • 1155–1158 Emperor Go-Shirakawa
  • 1158–1165 Emperor Nijō
  • 1165–1168 Emperor Rokujō
  • 1168–1180 Emperor Takakura
  • 1180–1185 Emperor Antoku

Kamakura Period (1185–1333)

  • 1183–1198 Emperor Go-Toba
  • 1198–1210 Emperor Tsuchimikado
  • 1210–1221 Emperor Juntoku
  • 1221 Emperor Chūkyō
  • 1221–1232 Emperor Go-Horikawa
  • 1232–1242 Emperor Shijō
  • 1242–1246 Emperor Go-Saga
  • 1246–1260 Emperor Go-Fukakusa
  • 1260–1274 Emperor Kameyama
  • 1274–1287 Emperor Go-Uda
  • 1287–1298 Emperor Fushimi
  • 1298–1301 Emperor Go-Fushimi
  • 1301–1308 Emperor Go-Nijō
  • 1308–1318 Emperor Hanazono
  • 1318–1339 Emperor Go-Daigo

Northern Court (1331–1392)
(reunified courts in 1392)

  • 1331–1333 Emperor Kōgon
  • 1336–1348 Emperor Kōmyō
  • 1348–1351 Emperor Sukō
  • 1352–1371 Emperor Go-Kōgon
  • 1371–1382 Emperor Go-En’yū
  • 1382–1392 Emperor Go-Komatsu

Muromachi Period and Azuchi–Momoyama Period (1333–1603)

  • 1339–1368 Emperor Go-Murakami (Southern Court)
  • 1368–1383 Emperor Chōkei (Southern Court)
  • 1383–1392 Emperor Go-Kameyama (Southern Court)
  • 1392–1412 Emperor Go-Komatsu (reunified courts)
  • 1412–1428 Emperor Shōkō
  • 1428–1464 Emperor Go-Hanazono
  • 1464–1500 Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado
  • 1500–1526 Emperor Go-Kashiwabara
  • 1526–1557 Emperor Go-Nara
  • 1557–1586 Emperor Ōgimachi
  • 1586–1611 Emperor Go-Yōzei

Edo Period (1603–1867)

  • 1611–1629 Emperor Go-Mizunoo
  • 1629–1643 Empress Meishō
  • 1643–1654 Emperor Go-Kōmyō
  • 1655–1663 Emperor Go-Sai
  • 1663–1687 Emperor Reigen
  • 1687–1709 Emperor Higashiyama
  • 1709–1735 Emperor Nakamikado
  • 1735–1747 Emperor Sakuramachi
  • 1747–1762 Emperor Momozono
  • 1762–1771 Empress Go-Sakuramachi (last Empress, abdicated, died in 1813)
  • 1771–1779 Emperor Go-Momozono
  • 1780–1817 Emperor Kōkaku (last Emperor to abdicate for over two centuries, died in 1840)
  • 1817–1846 Emperor Ninkō
  • 1846–1867 Emperor Kōmei

Imperial and Post-World War II Japan (from 1867)