Emperor Horikawa (堀河天皇) (August 8, 1079 - August 9, 1107) was the 73rd imperial ruler of Japan. His reign (1087-1107) was overshadowed by the cloistered rule of Emperor Shirakawa. His personal name was Taruhito (善仁).

Genealogy

Horikawa was the son of Emperor Shirakawa. His mother was ??ko (賢子), adopted daughter of Fujiwara Morozane (藤原師実).

• 1099-1162 Imperial Princess ??ko (悰子内親王)
• 1103-1156 Imperial Prince Munehito (宗仁親王) (Emperor Toba) - note: raised by his father, Emperor Shirakawa after Munehito's mother's death
• 1103-1159 Kangyō (寛暁) - High Priest
• 1105-1162 Prince ?? (最雲法親王) - Buddhist Priest; head priest of Tendai sect
• Imperial Princess Yoshiko?? (喜子内親王)
• Imperial Princess ??ko (懐子内親王)

Consorts and Empresses

• 1060-1114 Empress (chūgū): Imperial Princess Atsuko?? (篤子内親王) - fourth daughter of Emperor Go-Sanjō, and hence his aunt
• 1076-1103 Empress (kōgō): Fujiwara ??ko (藤原苡子)
•  ????-1126 Lady-in-waiting: Minamoto ??ko (源仁子) - Daughter of Prince ?? (康資王)
•  ????-1129 Lady-in-waiting: Fujiwara ??ko (藤原宗子), daughter of Fujiwara Takanori? (藤原隆宗) - later wife of Fujiwara Ieho? (藤原家保)
• Daughter of Fujiwara ?? (藤原時経)

Life

He became Crown Prince on the eleventh month, twenty-sixth day (or November 26?), and became Emperor on the same day upon the abdication of his father. His father's kampaku, Fujiwara Morozane (藤原師実) became sesshō (regent), but Shirakawa held actual power as cloistered Emperor. Horikawa filled his reign with scholarship, tanka, and music.

When his empress (kōgō) died, his son, Imperial Prince Munehito, who had become Crown Prince (and later became Emperor Toba) was taken to be raised by Horikawa's father, the Retired Emperor Shirakawa .

He passed away at the age of 28, being succeeded by his son, Emperor Toba.

Eras of his reign

• Ōtoku
• Kanji
• Kahō
• Eichō
• Jōtoku
• Kōwa
• Chōji
• Kajō