Traditional narrative

Saga was the second son of Emperor Kanmu and Fujiwara no Otomuro. His personal name was . Saga was an "accomplished calligrapher" able to compose in Chinese who held the first imperial poetry competitions. According to legend, he was the first Japanese emperor to drink tea.

Saga is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the Imperial Household Agency designates , in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto, as the location of Saga's mausoleum.

Events of Sagas life

• 806 Saga became the crown prince at age 21.

• June 17, 809: In the 4th year of Emperor Heizei's reign, he fell ill and abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by Kanmu's second son Saga, the eldest son having become a Buddhist priest. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Saga is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).

Soon after his enthronement, Saga himself took ill. At the time the retired Heizei had quarreled with his brother over the ideal location of the court, the latter preferring the Heian capital, while the former was convinced that a shift back to the Nara plain was necessary, and Heizei, exploiting Saga's weakened health, seized the opportunity to foment a rebellion, known historically as the Kusuko Incident; however, forces loyal to Emperor Saga, led by taishōgun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, quickly defeated the Heizei rebels which thus limited the adverse consequences which would have followed any broader conflict. This same Tamuramaro is remembered in Aomori's annual Nebuta Matsuri which feature a number of gigantic, specially-constructed, illuminated paper floats. These great lantern-structures are colorfully painted with mythical figures; and teams of men carry them through the streets as crowds shout encouragement. This early ninth century military leader is commemorated in this way because he is said to have ordered huge illuminated lanterns to be placed at the top of hills; and when the curious Emishi approached these bright lights to investigate, they were captured and subdued by Tamuramaro's men.

• August 24, 842: Saga died at the age of 57.

Eras of Sagas reign

The years of Saga's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name (nengō).

• Daidō (806–810)

• Kōnin (810–824)

Legacy

In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the Gempeitōkitsu (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the Minamoto clan are also known as Genji (源氏), and of these, the Saga Genji (嵯峨源氏) are descended from 52nd emperor Saga. Saga's son, Minamoto no Tōru, is thought to be an inspiration for the protagonist of the novel The Tale of Genji.

In the 9th century, Emperor Saga made a decree prohibiting meat consumption except fish and birds and abolished capital punishment in 818. This remained the dietary habit of Japanese until the introduction of European dietary customs in the 19th century.

Emperor Saga played an important role as a stalwart supporter of the Buddhist monk Kūkai. The emperor helped Kūkai to establish the Shingon School of Buddhism by granting him Tō-ji Temple in the capital Heian-kyō (present-day Kyoto).

Daikaku-ji

is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku in Kyoto. The site was originally a residence of the emperor, and later various emperor conducted their cloistered rule from here. The artificial lake of the temple, Ōsawa Pond, is one of the oldest Japanese garden ponds to survive from the Heian period.

The Saga Go-ryū school of ikebana has its headquarters in the temple and is named in his honour.

Kugyō

is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.

In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Saga's reign (809–823), this kugyō included:

• Sadaijin

• Udaijin, Fujiwara no Uchimaro (藤原内麿), 806–812.

• Udaijin, Fujiwara no Sonohito (藤原園人), 812–818.

• Udaijin, Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu (藤原冬嗣), 821–825.

• Udaijin, Tachibana no Ujikimi.

• Naidaijin

• Dainagon

Consorts and children

Saga had 49 children with at least 30 different women. Many of the children received the surname Minamoto, thereby removing them from royal succession.

Empress: Tachibana no Kachiko (橘嘉智子), also known as , Tachibana no Kiyotomo's daughter.

• Second Son: Imperial Prince Masara (正良親王) later Emperor Ninmyō

• Imperial Princess Seishi (正子内親王; 810–879), married to Emperor Junna

• Imperial Princess Hideko (秀子内親王; d. 850)

• Imperial Prince Hidera (秀良親王; 817–895)

• Imperial Princess Toshiko (俊子内親王; d. 826)

• Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (芳子内親王; d. 836)

• Imperial Princess Shigeko (繁子内親王; d. 865)

Hi (deposed): Imperial Princess Takatsu (高津内親王; d. 841), Emperor Kanmu』s daughter

• Second Prince: Imperial Prince Nariyoshi (業良親王; d. 868)

• Imperial Princess Nariko (業子内親王; d. 815)

Hi: Tajihi no Takako (多治比高子; 787–825), Tajihi no Ujimori's daughter

Bunin: Fujiwara no Onatsu (藤原緒夏; d. 855), Fujiwara no Uchimaro's daughter

Court lady (Naishi-no-kami): Kudara no Kyomyō (百済王慶命; d. 849), Kudara no Kyōshun's daughter

• Minamoto no Yoshihime (源善姫; b. 814)

• Minamoto no Sadamu (源定; 815–863)

• Minamoto no Wakahime (源若姫)

• Minamoto no Shizumu (源鎮; 824–881)

Nyōgo: Kudara no Kimyō (百済貴命; d. 851), Kudara no Shuntetsu's daughter

• Imperial Prince Motora (基良親王; d. 831)

• Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Tadara (忠良親王; 819–876)

• Imperial Princess Motoko (基子内親王; d. 831)

Nyōgo: Ōhara no Kiyoko (大原浄子; d. 841), Ōhara no Ietsugu's daughter

• Tenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Ninshi (仁子内親王; d. 889), 15th Saiō in Ise Shrine 809–823

Koui: Iidaka no Yakatoji (飯高宅刀自), Iidaka Gakuashi

• Minamoto no Tokiwa (源常; 812–854)

• Minamoto no Akira (源明; 814–852/853)

Koui: Akishino no Koko (秋篠高子/康子), Akishino no Yasuhito's daughter

• Minamoto no Kiyoshi (源清)

Koui: Yamada no Chikako (山田近子)

• Minamoto no Hiraku(?) (源啓; 829–869)

• Minamoto no Mituhime (源密姫)

Nyōgo: Princess Katano (交野女王), Prince Yamaguchi's daughter

• Eighth Daughter: Imperial Princess Uchiko (有智子内親王; 807–847), 1st Saiin in Kamo Shrine 810–831

Court lady: Takashina no Kawako (高階河子), Takashina no Kiyoshina's daughter

• Imperial Princess Sōshi (宗子内親王; d. 854)

Court lady: Hiroi no Otona's daughter

• Seventh Son: Minamoto no Makoto (源信)

Court lady: Fuse no Musashiko (布勢武蔵子)

• Minamoto no Sadahime (源貞姫; 810–880)

• Minamoto no Hashihime (源端姫)

Court lady: Kamitsukeno clan』s daughter

• Minamoto no Hiromu (源弘; 812–863)

Court lady: Abe no Yanatsu's daughter

• Minamoto no Yutaka (源寛; 813–876)

Court lady: Kasa no Tsugiko (笠継子), Kasa no Nakamori's daughter

• Minamoto no Ikeru (源生; 821–872)

Court lady: Awata clan's daughter

• Minamoto no Yasushi (源安; 822–853)

Court lady: Ōhara no Matako (大原全子), Ōhara no Mamuro's daughter

• Minamoto no Tōru (源融), Sadaijin

• Minamoto no Tsutomu (源勤; 824–881)

• Minamoto no Mitsuhime (源盈姫)

Court lady: Ki clan's daughter

• Minamoto no Sarahime (源更姫)

Court lady: Kura no Kageko (内蔵影子)

• Minamoto no Kamihime (源神姫)

• Minamoto no Katahime (源容姫)

• Minamoto no Agahime (源吾姫)

Court lady: Kannabi no Iseko (甘南備伊勢子)

• Minamoto no Koehime (源声姫)

Court lady: Fun'ya no Fumiko (文屋文子), Fun'ya no Kugamaro's daughter

• Imperial Princess Junshi (純子内親王; d. 863)

• Imperial Princess Seishi (斉子内親王; d. 853), married to Prince Fujii (son of Emperor Kanmu)

• Prince Atsushi (淳王)

Court lady: Tanaka clan's daughter

• Minamoto no Sumu(?) (源澄)

Court lady: Koreyoshi no Sadamichi's daughter

• Minamoto no Masaru (源勝)

Court lady: Ōnakatomi no Mineko (大中臣峯子)

Court lady: Tachibana no Haruko (橘春子)

Court lady: Nagaoka no Okanari's daughter

• Minamoto no Sakashi(?) (源賢)

Court lady (Nyoju): Taima no Osadamaro's daughter

• Minamoto no Kiyohime (源潔姫; 810–856), married to Fujiwara no Yoshifusa

• Minamoto no Matahime (源全姫; 812–882), Naishi-no-kami (尚侍)

Lady-in-waiting: Sugawara Kanshi (菅原閑子)

(from unknown women)

• Minamoto no Tsugu (?) (源継)

• Minamoto no Yoshihime (源良姫)

• Minamoto no Toshihime (源年姫)

Ancestry

生平

嵯峨天皇是桓武天皇的次子，為皇后藤原乙牟漏所生。他的哥哥便是前任天皇平城天皇。平城天皇即位之後，根據父親桓武天皇的遺願，將神野皇子立為皇太弟。

809年，平城天皇因病退位，由神野皇子繼位，是為嵯峨天皇。嵯峨天皇繼位後，將平城上皇的兒子高岳親王立為皇太子。但次年發生了藥子之變，平城上皇的兒子們全部被降為臣籍，高岳親王也被廢去太子之位。嵯峨天皇的異母弟大伴親王（後為淳和天皇）被立為皇太弟。因為這次事變，嵯峨天皇設置了藏人所、檢非違使，改制六衛所。

嵯峨天皇在位期間是日本的太平盛世。在這個時期，宮廷文化處於全盛階段。然而事實上當時日本農業蕭條，根據《日本書紀》記載，從817年（弘仁八年）起日本連續發生七年旱災，導致了朝廷的財政困難。有效緩和財政困難。818年發佈《弘仁格》，廢除了死刑制度。

嵯峨天皇在位末期進行大刀闊斧地改革，改正墾田永年私財法，緩和了大土地的所有限制，同時設置了公營田和敕旨田等。為了減少朝廷的財政負擔，嵯峨天皇將許多庶出子女臣籍降下，以減少皇室成員。日本歷史上著名的家族源氏，便是在嵯峨天皇在位期間誕生的。

823年，嵯峨天皇因財政問題上與右大臣藤原冬嗣產生巨大分歧，被迫讓位給三弟大伴親王（淳和天皇）、退位成上皇，但將自己的女兒嫁給淳和天皇（生子恆貞親王），並安排己子仁明天皇為淳和的皇太子。之後嵯峨上皇依舊掌握著朝廷的實權，直到842年過世，又任命女婿兼寵臣藤原良房（藤原冬嗣之子）為公卿參政。833年淳和天皇退位、仁明天皇即位，但嵯峨為安撫弟弟淳和，讓兒子仁明將恆貞親王（嵯峨的侄兒兼外孫）立為皇太子，嵯峨自己仍公平地主持政務，雖然淳和與其子恆貞親王因害怕自家地位威脅到嵯峨系統，多次請求「免去恆貞親王的太子地位、換上仁明天皇的兒子（藤原良房的女婿）」，但嵯峨上皇每次都拒絕此舉，還好言安撫他們。

840年淳和上皇過世，842年嵯峨也過世，長期希望女婿當上太子的藤原良房，在同年聯合仁明天皇將淳和上皇的兒子恆貞親王排擠掉，將仁明天皇的兒子道康親王（文德天皇）立為太子。

詩文書法

嵯峨天皇擅長書法，為平安時代三筆之一。其詩文、墨跡今尚有遺存。

在平安時期，中國書法對日本書法的影響力減弱，日本逐漸發展出自己獨特的風格。嵯峨天皇的作品是這個過渡時期的代表。

嵯峨天皇亦擅長於詩文，以下漢詩便是嵯峨天皇所作：

他也是花道中嵯峨御流的鼻祖。

系圖

家族

• 父：桓武天皇

• 母：藤原乙牟漏

• 皇后：

　• 橘嘉智子

• 妃：

　• 高津內親王

　• 多治比高子

• 夫人：

　• 藤原產子

　• 藤原緒夏

• 女御：

　• 大原淨子

　• 百濟王貴命

• 更衣：

　• 秋篠高子

　• 山田近子

　• 飯高宅眉

• 尚侍：

　• 百濟王慶命

• 子女：

　• 有智子內親王

　• 源潔姬

　• 仁明天皇

　• 源信

　• 正子內親王

　• 源常

　• 源弘

　• 源定

　• 源融

等