| Tachibana no Kachiko 橘嘉智子 | |
|---|---|
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| Empress consort of Japan | |
| Tenure | August 21, 815 – June 5, 823 |
| Empress dowager of Japan | |
| Tenure | April 23, 823 – March 2, 833 |
| Grand empress dowager of Japan | |
| Tenure | March 26, 833 – June 17, 850 |
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| Born | 786 |
| Died | June 17, 850(850-06-17) (aged 63–64) Heian Kyō (Kyōto) |
| Spouse | Emperor Saga |
| Issue | Emperor Ninmyō Princess Seishi Princess Hideko Prince Hidera Princess Toshiko Princess Yoshiko Princess Shigeko |
| House | Yamato (by marriage) Tachibana clan (by birth) |
| Father | Tachibana no Kiyotomo |
| Mother | Taguchi Michihime |
Tachibana no Kachiko (橘 嘉智子, 786 – June 17, 850), also known as Empress Danrin (檀林皇后, Danrin-kōgō), was a Japanese empress, the chief consort of Emperor Saga[1] and the daughter of Tachibana no Kiyotomo (橘 清友).[2] She was de facto ruler of the empire between 833 and 850.
The empress was a devout Buddhist. She founded the Buddhist Danrin-ji temple complex, and for this reason, she came to be called Danrin-kōgō.[2]
She died in the 4th day of the 5th month of 850.[3] Known for her renowned beauty in her life, on her deathbed, Empress Danrin requested her body to be left open to the environment for the public to see the effects of human decomposition. This event later became a popular Japanese folk legend and was later depicted by the 18th century painting "Nine Stages of Decomposition of the Heian Period Empress Danrin".[4]
Lady Kachiko was born to Tachibana no Kiyotomo and his wife, Taguchi Michihime.
In June 809, Tachibana no Kachiko married the new emperor. The marriage produced seven children: two sons and five daughters. Her eldest son would succeed his father as Emperor of Japan and her eldest daughter married Prince Otomo, who later became Emperor Junna.
In the acclaimed 2013 movie Avalokitesvara, a loose adaptation of the Putuoshan genesis story, Ryoko Nakano starred as the Empress Dowager Tachibana Kachiko.
| Japanese royalty | ||
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| Preceded by
Fujiwara no Taishi |
Empress consort of Japan 815–823 |
Succeeded by
Princess Koshi |
| Preceded by
Fujiwara no Ryoshi |
Empress dowager of Japan 823–833 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by
Takano no Niigasa |
Grand empress dowager of Japan 833–850 |
Succeeded by |
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Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE / AD 1 individuals that were given the title of empress dowager posthumously 2 title removed in 896 due to a suspected affair with head priest of the Toko-ji Temple; title posthumously restored in 943 3 was made High Empress or de jure empress dowager during her husband's reign | |||||||||
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