Emperor Kōshō facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kōshō
Emperor of Japan
Reign	legendary
Predecessor	Itoku
Successor	Kōan
Born	legendary
Died	legendary
Burial	Wakigami no Hakata no yama no e no misasagi (Nara)

Emperor Kōshō (孝昭天皇, Kōshō-tennō) was the 5th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Historians consider Emperor Kōshō to be a legendary person, and the name Kōshō-tennō was created for him posthumously by later generations.

No certain dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign. The conventionally accepted names and sequence of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kammu, who was the 50th monarch of the Yamato dynasty.

The Gukanshō records that Kōshō ruled from the palace of Ikekokoro-no-miya at Waki-no-kami in what will come to be known as Yamato province.

Traditional history

Kōshō is almost certainly a legend. The Kojiki records only his name and genealogy. The Nihonshoki includes Kōshō as the fourth of "eight undocumented monarchs" (欠史八代,, Kesshi-hachidai).

Emperor Kōshō was the oldest son of Emperor Itoku. Jinnō Shōtōki records that his mother was Amanotoyototsu-hime, and his grandmother by his mother's side was Okishimimi-no-kami.

Events of Kōshō's life

The absence of information about Kōshō does not show that he was not real. Very little information is available for study before the rule of the 29th monarch, Emperor Kimmei (509?-571).

After his death

This emperor's official name after his death (his posthumous name) was regularized many centuries after the lifetime which was ascribed to Kōshō.

The actual site of his grave is not known. According to the Imperial Household Agency, this emperor is venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.

Related pages

• Emperor of Japan
• List of Emperors of Japan
• Japanese Imperial family tree

The chrysanthemum symbol of the Japanese emperor and his family.