Emperor Go-Mizunoo

Emperor Go-Mizunoo was the 108th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He was the first emperor to reign entirely during the Edo period, under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was the third son of Emperor Go-Yōzei and his consort, Konoe Sakiko. He ascended to the throne in 1611, after his father abdicated in his favor. He married Tokugawa Masako, the daughter of the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, in 1620, strengthening the ties between the imperial and shogunal families. He also had six concubines, with whom he fathered 33 children, many of whom became emperors or empresses themselves. He was known for his interest in art and culture, and he patronized many artists and scholars. He also renovated the imperial palace and expanded the imperial library. He abdicated in 1629, in favor of his eldest daughter, Empress Meishō, who became the seventh female monarch in Japanese history. He continued to exert influence behind the scenes, and he was involved in several disputes with the shogunate over religious and political matters. He died in 1680, at the age of 84, and was buried in Tsuki no wa no misasagi in Kyoto. His posthumous name, Go-Mizunoo, means "later Mizunoo", after the 9th-century Emperor Seiwa, who was also buried in Mizunoo.