Emperor Nimmyo (仁明天皇)
Emperor Nimmyo (810 - May 6, 850), the fifty-fourth Emperior, reigned from March 30, 833 to May 4, 850 (in the early Heian period). His first name was Prince Masara.
Brief Personal History
On March 6, 833, he succeeded to the Imperial Throne after his uncle, Emperor Junna, passed the position to him. Initially, a prince of Emperor Junna, Prince Tsunesada, was recommended to become the crown prince; however, after the Showa Incident (842) Prince Tsunesada was dethroned, so instead Emperor Nimmyo's first prince, Michiyasu, became the crown prince. It is said that this incident happened because the Emperor wanted his son to succeed the throne; on the other hand, FUJIWARA no Yoshifusa used the Emperor's intentions and formed a plot against him in order that his nephew Michiyasu could succeed to the throne.
On March 19, 850 the Emperor Nimmyo passed the Imperial Throne to Emperor Montoku due to his illness. He died on March 21, 850.
The Emperor had been weak since birth, and in the record of "Shoku Nihon Koki" his medical history since age seven is listed; after his enthronement he often compounded medicines (Tanyaku, Ishiyaku), and his knowledge was as good as that of a doctor in his time. According to an article of FUJIWARA no Yoshimi's death in "Sandai Jitsuroku," it is said that the Emperor ordered Yoshimi to try his own, self-made medicine.
Sanyo RAI, who was a Confucianist (a Confucian scholar of the Edo period), criticized Emperor Nimmyo for not accepting Prince Tsunesada's previous frequent resignations from the position of Crown Prince, but he removed the prince and let his own son be enthroned as the crown prince when the incident occurred ("Nihon Seiki").
Different names
He was called "Fukakusa no Mikado," which came from the name of the place in which his mausoleum was located. His Japanese-style posthumous name is Yamato neko amatsu mishirushi toyosato no mikoto. He was the last Emperor to receive a Japanese-style posthumous name.
Eras during his reign
Tencho
Jowa (834 - 847)
Kasho (848 - 850)
The Imperial Mausoleum
The Emperor was entombed in Fukakusa no Misasagi (Higashi Date-cho Town, Fukakusa, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City).