Complete List of Emperors of Japan (660 BC–Present)

The earliest emperors of Japan exist in myth more than in history. The Kojiki (712 AD) and Nihon Shoki (720 AD) were composed to legitimize imperial rule — they record these early reigns with supernatural elements and lifespans of several centuries. No archaeological or contemporary written evidence corroborates the individuals or dates listed here. Modern historians, including those advising Japan’s Imperial Household Agency, treat Emperors #1–#15 as legendary. Emperor Ōjin (#15) is the last emperor for whom the historical record is entirely absent; Emperor Nintoku (#16) and later emperors enter a transitional zone where archaeology begins to offer limited corroboration. All entries in this section carry a Legend badge.

This period spans Japan’s gradual emergence into documented history. Chinese and Korean records begin to reference Japan (called Wa) by the 3rd century AD. The Kofun period (c. 300–538 AD) sees the construction of massive burial mounds, indicating powerful chieftains and emerging central authority. Buddhism arrives from the Korean kingdom of Baekje in the mid-6th century, transforming Japanese culture. The Asuka period (593–710 AD) brings constitutional governance under Prince Shōtoku and the first systematic law codes. By the end of this period, a recognizable imperial state has emerged. Note: Emperor Kōtoku (#36, 645 AD) introduces the nengō era name system — Era Name entries begin here.

The Nara period marks Japan’s first permanent capital city, modeled on the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang’an. The imperial court reaches its greatest early influence over culture and governance. Buddhism becomes the state religion under Empress Shōmu, and massive temple construction — including Tōdai-ji and its great bronze Buddha — defines the era. Tang Dynasty China provides the dominant cultural model; students researching Nara period Japan should consult our List of Chinese Dynasties as a companion reference. Note the presence of two empress regnants in this short period, reflecting the complexity of Nara-era court politics.

The Heian period — named for the capital, Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto) — is often called Japan’s classical golden age. Court culture, literature, and art flourish. The Tale of Genji, arguably the world’s first novel, is written around 1000 AD. The Fujiwara clan dominates court politics for much of this era, acting as regents for emperors who frequently ascend the throne as children. Real political power increasingly shifts from the imperial court to powerful clans. The period ends when competing warrior clans — the Taira and Minamoto — drag Japan into civil war (the Genpei War, 1180–1185 AD), leading to the establishment of the first shogunate. The Tang Dynasty’s influence remains significant in the early Heian period; the List of Chinese Dynasties provides useful parallel context.

The Kamakura period begins with Minamoto no Yoritomo establishing Japan’s first shogunate in 1192. The emperor retains ceremonial legitimacy but holds little real power — the shogunate governs from Kamakura while the imperial court remains in Kyoto. The defining external crisis of this era is the Mongol invasions: Kublai Khan sends massive fleets in 1274 and 1281. Both are repulsed — the second largely by typhoons the Japanese call kamikaze (“divine winds”). For context on the Yuan Dynasty that launched these invasions, see our List of Chinese Dynasties. For the battles themselves, see our List of Major Battles of the Ancient World. The period ends when Emperor Go-Daigo leads a rebellion that briefly restores direct imperial rule.

From 1336 to 1392, Japan had two rival imperial courts claiming legitimacy simultaneously. After Emperor Go-Daigo’s failed Kenmu Restoration, the military leader Ashikaga Takauji installed a rival emperor in Kyoto (the Northern Court), while Go-Daigo fled to Yoshino in the mountains south of Kyoto to establish the Southern Court. Both courts issued era names, appointed court officials, and waged war for over 50 years.

The current imperial family descends from the Northern Court line. However, in 1911, the Meiji government officially ruled that the Southern Court was the legitimate line — a decision that remains the official position today. As a result, the Southern Court emperors hold the official imperial numbers (#97–#100) in the standard count. The Northern Court emperors are listed in a separate companion table below, clearly labeled, so readers can follow both lines.

Students researching this period should be aware that older sources — particularly those written before 1911 — may number these emperors differently and may treat either line as primary depending on the political context of the source.

The Ashikaga shogunate governs from the Muromachi district of Kyoto for most of this period. The imperial court is impoverished and largely ceremonial. The Ōnin War (1467–1477 AD) devastates Kyoto and fractures central authority, beginning the century of civil war known as the Sengoku period (“Warring States”). By the mid-1500s, powerful regional warlords (daimyō) compete for dominance, and the shogunate’s authority collapses entirely. The imperial court is so poor that Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado’s funeral is reportedly delayed for months due to lack of funds.

This brief but dramatic period covers the unification of Japan under Oda Nobunaga and then Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The shogunate is dissolved; the emperor serves as the ultimate source of legitimacy that both warlords court carefully. Nobunaga never claims the title of shogun but uses the emperor strategically. Hideyoshi uses the imperial court to legitimize his authority and launches two invasions of Korea (1592, 1597) with ambitions toward China. The period ends when Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats rival warlords at the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) and founds the Edo shogunate.

The Tokugawa shogunate governs Japan from Edo (modern Tokyo) for 265 years. The emperor in Kyoto holds sacred and ceremonial authority but has almost no political role. The Tokugawa deliberately keep the court impoverished and restricted — laws governing court behavior (Kinchū narabini kuge shohatto) literally specify what the emperor may and may not do. Japan is largely closed to foreign contact (the sakoku policy) from the 1630s until Commodore Matthew Perry’s arrival forces open the ports in 1853. The arrival of Western powers destabilizes the shogunate, and a coalition of reformers restores imperial authority in 1868 — the Meiji Restoration. The Edo period produces extraordinary cultural achievements: kabuki theater, haiku, woodblock printing, and popular literature all flourish.

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ends 265 years of Tokugawa shogunate rule and restores direct imperial governance. Japan rapidly modernizes — adopting Western technology, law, military organization, and constitutional government while deliberately preserving imperial authority as the center of national identity. The modern period carries Japan through industrialization, imperial expansion, catastrophic defeat in World War II, postwar occupation, and emergence as one of the world’s leading economies. Under the 1947 constitution, the emperor becomes a symbol of the state with no governmental powers. The one-era-name-per-reign practice (one nengō per emperor) is established with Emperor Meiji and continues to the present.