List of emperors of Japan

Japan has been ruled by emperors since antiquity. The sequence, order and dates of the early emperors are almost entirely based on the 8th-century Nihon Shoki, which was meant to retroactively legitimise the Yamato dynasty by dating its foundation further back to the year 660 BCE.^[1]^[2]^[3] There are several theories as to who was the first Japanese ruler supported by historical evidence: notable candidates are Emperor Yūryaku (r. 456–479) and Emperor Kinmei (r. 539–571), among others.^[4]^[5]

The terms Tennō ('Emperor', 天皇), as well as Nihon ('Japan', 日本), were not adopted until the late 7th century CE.^[6]^[2] In the nengō system which has been in use since the late 7th century, years are numbered using the Japanese era name and the number of years which have elapsed since the start of that nengō era.^[7]

^ Smits, Gregory J. (1991). Political Thought in Japanese Historical Writing: From Kojiki (712) to Tokushi Yoron (1712). Wilfrid Laurier University Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN 9780889209978.
^ ^a ^b Vogel, Ezra F. (2019). China and Japan: Facing History. Harvard University Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 9780674240766.
^ Mason, Richard (2011). "Chapter Two". History of Japan: Revised Edition. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462900978.
^ Ibaraki, Yoshiyuki (2013). "A Review of the Inscription of the Iron Sword Discovered at Inariyama Old Tomb of the Sakitama Old Tombs' Group". 皇学館論叢. 46 (5). KOGAKKAN RONSO: 1–35.
^ Cite error: The named reference Timothy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Holcombe, Charles (January 2001). The Genesis of East Asia: 221 B.C. – A.D. 907. University of Hawaii Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-8248-2465-5.
^ Nussbaum, "Nengō", p. 704.

[1] Smits, Gregory J. (1991). Political Thought in Japanese Historical Writing: From Kojiki (712) to Tokushi Yoron (1712). Wilfrid Laurier University Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN 9780889209978.

[Vogel-2] Vogel, Ezra F. (2019). China and Japan: Facing History. Harvard University Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 9780674240766.

[3] Mason, Richard (2011). "Chapter Two". History of Japan: Revised Edition. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462900978.

[4] Ibaraki, Yoshiyuki (2013). "A Review of the Inscription of the Iron Sword Discovered at Inariyama Old Tomb of the Sakitama Old Tombs' Group". 皇学館論叢. 46 (5). KOGAKKAN RONSO: 1–35.

[Timothy-5] Cite error: The named reference Timothy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Holcombe-6] Holcombe, Charles (January 2001). The Genesis of East Asia: 221 B.C. – A.D. 907. University of Hawaii Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-8248-2465-5.

[FOOTNOTENussbaum[httpsarchiveorgdetailsjapanencyclopedi0000louipage704mode2upviewtheater_"Nengō"],_p._704-7] Nussbaum, "Nengō", p. 704.

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