Fujiwara no Genshi (藤原 嫄子, August 24, 1016 – September 19, 1039), born Princess Genshi (嫄子女王), was an empress consort (chūgū) of Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan. She was the adopted daughter of Fujiwara no Yorimichi,[1] and biological daughter of Imperial Prince Atsuyasu (敦康親王).
Biography
Genshi's father Atsuyasu died in 1018. Her mother was the younger sister of Fujiwara no Yorimichi's official wife, Princess Takahime, and so the daughterless Yorimichi adopted her.
In 1036, she acted as a substitute court lady in the purification ceremony at Emperor Go-Suzaku's first niiname-sai harvest festival. The next year, she entered his court as a court lady, and received the rank of shō shi-i no ge (正四位下). Two months later she was made chūgū, displacing the existing empress consort Princess Teishi to kōgō and souring relations between Teishi and Yorimichi. Favored by the Emperor, Genshi bore him two girls, but died in childbirth at the age of 23 without giving birth to a prince.
According to the records of Ise Shrine (太神宮諸雑事記, daijingū shozō-kiji), when Genshi was bathing ten days after giving birth, there was a great storm. Amidst the lightning and thunder and heavy rain, Genshi died on the spot. At the time, there was a rumor that the Fujiwara family god of Kasuga-taisha was angered that Genshi had been made Empress through adoption into the Fujiwara clan, despite blood ties to the Minamoto clan.
Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE / AD1 individuals that were given the title of empress posthumously
2 individuals elevated to the rank of empress due to their position as honorary mother of the emperor
3 Shōshi served briefly as honorary empress for her younger brother Emperor Go-Daigo
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