Background
Gotoba Tenno was born in 1180. His name was Takahito. The fourth son of Emperor Takakura. His mother was Shokushi Fujiwara.
Gotoba Tenno was born in 1180. His name was Takahito. The fourth son of Emperor Takakura. His mother was Shokushi Fujiwara.
In 1183, toward the end of the war between the Minamoto and Taira families, Emperor Antoku took refuge in western Japan with the Tairas, taking with him the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures (the symbol of the Throne). Ex-Emperor Goshirakawa helped the new emperor, Go- toba, to ascend the Throne in Kyoto. The following year, his enthronement ceremony took place without the sacred treasures. Emperor Gotoba abdicated in 1198 but actually continued his rule as an ex-emperor. Aithough his intention was to take back the reins of government from the Kamakura Shogunate, he failed in his at-tempt to do so and was exiled to Oki Island (Shiraane Prefecture) in 1221 where he died. A waka poet, he ordered the Shin Kokin-wakashu Anthology to be compiled.
