Background
Tenno Kokaku was the sixth son of Imperial Prince Kan'in Sukehito, the second Prince Kan'in of the Kan'in-no-miya imperial collateral branch.
Tenno Kokaku was the sixth son of Imperial Prince Kan'in Sukehito, the second Prince Kan'in of the Kan'in-no-miya imperial collateral branch.
Tenno Kokaku was very talented and had a zeal for scholarship, reviving festivals at the Iwashimizu and Kamono shrines, and working hard at reviving ceremonies surrounding the Imperial Court. During Kokaku's reign, the Imperial Court attempted to re-assert some of its authority by proposing a relief program to the Bakufu at the time of the Great Tenmei famine (1782–1788) and receiving information about negotiations with Russia over disputes in the north.
In addition, Tenno Kokaku attempted to re-assert some of the Imperial authority over the Shōgun (or bakufu). He undertook this by first implementing a relief program during the Great Tenmei Famine, which not only undermined the effectiveness of the bakufu to look after their subjects, but also focused the subjects' attention back to the Imperial household.
Tenno Kokaku also took an active interest in foreign affairs; keeping himself informed about the border dispute with Russia to the north, as well as keeping himself abreast of knowledge regarding foreign currency, both Chinese and European.
The Emperor instigated an incident called the "Songo incident" (the "respectful title incident") in 1789. The Emperor came into dispute with the Tokugawa shogunate about his intention to give the title of Abdicated Emperor (Daijo Tenno, ) to his father, Prince Sukehito. The Bakufu gave his father the honorary title of Retired Emperor.
In 1817, Tenno Kokaku abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Ninko.
In the two centuries before Kōkaku's reign most emperors died young or were forced to abdicate. Kokaku was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne past the age of 40 since the abdication of Emperor Ogimachi in 1586.
After Kokaku's death in 1840, he was enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum, Nochi no Tsukinowa no Higashiyama no misasagi.
Fond of books and learning, Tenno Kokaku made great efforts to revive Confucianism and ancient customs. It is said he was diametrically against Buddhism and refused to turn priest after abdicating as was the custom those days. At one stage Tenno Kokaku planned to bestow the title of Dajo-tenno (emperor emeritus) on ms father but this was rejected by the Shogim.
