Emperor Kameyama (亀山天皇, Kameyama-tennō, 9 July 1249 – 4 October 1305) was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1260 through 1274.[1]
Zenrinji-dono (禅林寺殿) – Literally "Lord Zen-Temple" From the fact that he had a Zen temple in the north wing of his Imperial Villa
Madenokō-ji-dono (from his residence)
Bun'ō Kōtei (From the era name; Kōtei is another word for Emperor)
The name Kameyama comes from the location of his tomb.
9 January 1260 (Shōgen 1, 26th day of the 11th month): In the 14th year of Go-Fukakusa-tennō's reign (後深草天皇十四年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by his younger brother. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kameyama is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).[3]
Statue of Emperor Kameyama located in Fukuoka, Japan.
In 1265 a delegation sent by Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire, arrived. On its way to Japan, they looted islands. The Mongols invited Japan to submit to the rule of Kublai. The Emperor and the Imperial Court suggested compromise,[4] but they were ignored by the shogun in Kamakura. The Mongol delegation was sent back.
However, the Bakufu watched Kameyama with suspicion, and in 1287, encouraged Emperor Go-Uda to abdicate, and pushed for the enthronement of Emperor Go-Fukakusa's son, who became Emperor Fushimi. Kameyama's cloistered rule was suspended by this.
Later, Imperial Prince Hisa'aki, Emperor Go-Fukakusa's son, became shōgun strengthening the position of the Jimyōin-tō. This caused Kameyama to become despondent, and in 1289 he entered the priesthood, joining the Zen sect. Because of this, Zen Buddhism slowly penetrated into the Court Nobility.
Memorial Shinto shrine in Tenryū-ji and mausoleum honoring Emperor Kameyama
In 1305, he died. Emperor Kameyama is enshrined at Kameyama no MisasagiatTenryū-ji in Kyoto; and this Imperial mausoleum is maintained by the Imperial Household.[5]
Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted.
In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Kameyama's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
^Titsingh, p. 265; Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami.
^Smith, Bradley Japan: A History in Art 1979 p. 107
^Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 422.
