Japan: Empress Genmei (660-721), 43rd imperial ruler of Japan. Portrait, 1894. Empress Genmei/Genmyo (660-721), personal name Abe-hime, was the 43rd imperial ruler of Japan. She reigned for 8 years (707-715) after the death of her son, Emperor Mommu, in 707. She proved an unusually able ruler. She coined the first copper money and caused scribes to write down the ancient traditions lest they be lost, and in 708 she moved the capital city of Japan from Fujiwara to Heijo-Kyo, thus giving the Nara period of Japanese history its name. She abdicated in favour of her daughter, Empress Gensho-Tenno.

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Empress Gemmei (660-721), was the 43rd imperial ruler of Japan. She reigned for 8 years (707-715) after the death of her son, Emperor Mommu, in 707. She proved an unusually able ruler. She coined the first copper money and caused scribes to write down the ancient traditions lest they be lost, and in 708 she moved the capital city of Japan from Fujiwara to Heijo-Kyo, thus giving the Nara period of Japanese history its name. Married to her first cousin and nephew, Kusakabe no Miko, the son of Emperor Temmu of Japan and Empress Jito of Japan, she abdicated in favour of her daughter, Empress Gensho-Tennō. This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.

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Size: 3702px × 4892px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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