Background
Tenno Toba was born on 24 February 1103. He was a son of Emperor Horikawa, his mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Ishi
天皇 鳥羽
Tenno Toba was born on 24 February 1103. He was a son of Emperor Horikawa, his mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Ishi
Tenno Toba ascended the throne on his father’s death in 1107 to become the seventy-fourth ruler of Japan. Earlier, in 1086, Emperor Shirakawa had turned over the throne to his son, Emperor Horikawa, so that, as a retired sovereign and father of the ruler, he might exercise power more freely, and this system of government, known as insei or government by an ex-sovereign, continued to be practiced by Emperor Shirakawa’s successors.
Ten days after Toba's death in the seventh month of 1156, a struggle broke out between his son, Retired Emperor Sutoku, and Emperor Goshirakawa. Known as the Hogen uprising, it split not only the imperial family but many of the great aristocrat families such as the Fujiwara as well, some members of a single family supporting one side, some the other, it ended in victory for the supporters of Emperor Goshirakawa. Active in the strife were military leaders such as Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo. As a result, these men of the warrior class were able to acquire power within the court, and in the end, one of them, Taira no Kiyomori, succeeded in establishing control over the court and setting himself up as a virtual dictator.
Emperor Toba was a devouted follower of Buddhist teachings, building temples and leaving instructions for his burial at the Anrakuju-in, a temple that he himself had founded.
Emperor Toba in 1123 turned over the throne to his son, Emperor Sutoku, and with the death of his father in 1129, became the actual wielder of power through the insei system.
Fujiwara no Yasuko (1095–1156) was an Empress consort of Japan.
Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原得子), 1117 - December 22, 1160. She was an Empress consort of Emperor Toba of Japan and mother of Emperor Konoe.[1] She was the daughter of the chūnagon Fujiwara no Nagazane (藤原長実) and Minamoto no Masako (源方子).
Fujiwara no Tamako (藤原 璋子, 1101 - September 10, 1145) was an Empress consort of Emperor Toba of Japan, and mother of Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Go-Shirakawa. She was the eldest daughter of Fujiwara no Kinzane (藤原公実).
