Emperor Komei (????, Komei-tenno?) (22 July 1831 – 30 January 1867) was the
121st emperor of
Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from 10 March 1846 to 30 January 1867. His personal name was Osahito
(???) and his pre-accession title was
Hiro-no-miya (???).
Emperor Komei was the fourth son of Emperor Ninko. His principal consort was Asako Kujo (????).[1] After Ninko's sudden death in 1846, Asako was given a new name by Emperor Meiji. She was then to be called Empress Eisho (????).[2] Emperor Meiji was Komei's second son, by Nakayama Yoshiko (????). Komei had six children, four daughters and two sons; but the future Emperor Meiji was the only one to survive past the age of two.
The Emperor's younger sister, Imperial princess Kazu-no-Miya Chikako (???????) was set to marry the Tokugawa shogun Tokugawa Iemochi as part of the Movement to Unite Court and Bakufu (????), but the shogun's death ended negotiations. Both the Emperor and his sister were against the marriage, even though he realized the gains to be had from such familial connections with the true ruler of Japan. Emperor Komei did not care much for anything foreign, and he opposed opening Japan to Western powers, even as the shogun continued to accept foreign demands.
Emperor Komei was infuriated with nearly every development during his reign as emperor. In his lifetime he never saw any foreigners and he knew little about them. During his reign he started to gain more power as the Tokugawa Shogunate declined, though this was limited to consultation and other forms of deference according to protocol.
