生平

1198年，後鳥羽天皇讓位給年僅兩歲的為仁親王，是為土御門天皇。實際上，實權由後鳥羽上皇執行院政。穩重謙和的土御門天皇比活潑開朗的順德天皇更適合為天皇，只是順德天皇的政治觀點也相當接近於父親後鳥羽上皇打倒幕府、回復皇權的政治訴求，深得上皇的喜愛。 所以在後鳥羽上皇院政的影響下，土御門天皇被迫讓位。

承元四年（1210年），後鳥羽上皇堅持下，十六歲的土御門天皇讓位給當時十四歲的守成親王，是為順德天皇。

父親後鳥羽上皇及弟順德天皇為承久之亂作準備，在承久三年（1221年）順德天皇又讓位給年僅三歲兒子的懷成親王，是為仲恭天皇。同年、後鳥羽上皇發起承久之亂向全國發布了討伐幕府執權北條義時的敕令，但是很快便被北條泰時和北條時房所率領的幕府軍擊敗。後鳥羽上皇、順德上皇被發配到隱岐及佐渡。土御門上皇並未參與討幕，本來不是被處分對象，但他卻自願提出與父親後鳥羽上皇及弟順德上皇一同受流配之刑。土御門上皇被流放到了土佐國，後改為流放阿波國，因此被稱作土佐院和阿波院。土御門上皇沒有參與倒幕，因而受到了鐮倉幕府的禮遇，當地的守護在阿波國為上皇建造了宮殿。

1231年10月出家及駕崩。

1242年（仁治3年），四條天皇撞傷頭部不治而死。 在討論由繼承人時，朝廷官員主張由順德天皇的兒子忠成親王接替。但是遭到了當時的幕府執權北條泰時拒絕。北條泰時認為順德天皇參與了承久之亂，他的後代不配成為天皇。於是，與承久之亂無關的土御門天皇的兒子，邦仁親王登基，是為後嵯峨天皇。

系譜

後鳥羽天皇的第一皇子。其母是久我通親（源通親）的養女（實際上是法勝寺執行法印能圓之女）承明門院・源在子。

• 中宮：大炊御門（藤原）麗子（1185-1243）

• 典侍：土御門（源）通子（?-1221）

　• 第一皇女：春子女王（1211-1230）

　• 第二皇女：覺子內親王（正親町院）（1213-1285）

　• 第三皇子：仁助法親王（1214-1262）

　• 第四皇子：靜仁法親王（1216-1296）

　• 第六皇子：邦仁王（後嵯峨天皇）（1220-1272）

　• 第五皇女：秀子女王

• 宮人：美作掌侍

　• 第一皇子：道仁法親王（?-1280）

　• 第六皇女：知子女王

• 宮人：法橋覺宴之女

　• 第二皇子：尊守法親王（1210-1260）

• 宮人：法院尋惠之女

　• 第五皇子：尊助法親王（1217-1290）

• 宮人：治部卿局

　• 第七皇子：道圓法親王

　• 第九皇子：增仁

　• 第七皇女：信子女王

• 宮人：源有雅之女

　• 第三皇女：曦子內親王（仙華門院）（1224-1262） -

• 宮人：藤原圓譽之女

　• 第八皇子：最仁法親王（1228-1295）

• 宮人：源證遍之女

　• 第四皇女：諄子內親王 - 准三宮

• 宮人：雲顯之女

　• 第八皇女：是子內親王

在位時期年號

• 建久 （1198年1月11日） - 1199年4月27日

• 正治 1199年4月27日 - 1201年2月13日

• 建仁 1201年2月13日 - 1204年2月20日

• 元久 1204年2月20日 - 1206年4月27日

• 建永 1206年4月27日 - 1207年10月25日

• 承元 1207年10月25日 - （1210年11月25日）

Genealogy

Before Tsuchimikado's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was . He was the firstborn son of Emperor Go-Toba. His mother was Ariko (在子) (1171–1257), daughter of Minamoto no Michichika (源通親).

Tsuchimikado's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi of the Heian Palace. His family included three sons by three different consorts:

• Empress (Chūgū): Ōinomikado (Fujiwara) no Reishi (大炊御門（藤原）麗子) later Onmeimon』in (陰明門院), Ōinomikado Yorisane』s daughter

• Lady-in-waiting: Tsuchimikado (Minamoto) no Michiko (土御門（源）通子; d.1221), Minamoto Michimumen』s daughter

　• First daughter: Princess Haruko (春子女王; 1210-1230)

　• Second daughter: Imperial Princess Akiko (覚子内親王; 1213-1285) later Ogimachi』in (正親町院)

　• Third son: Imperial Prince Priest Ninjo (仁助法親王; 1215-1262)

　• Fourth son: Imperial Prince Priest Jojin (静仁法親王; 1216-1296)

　• Sixth son: Prince Kunihito (邦仁王), later Emperor Go-Saga

• Court Lady: Mimasaka-Naishi (美作掌侍), Takashina Nakasuke』s daughter

　• Princess

　• Son: Imperial Prince Priest Donin (道仁法親王; 1209-1263）

• Court Lady: Minamoto Sadamitsu』s daughter

　• Fifth daughter: Princess Hideko (秀子女王)

• Court Lady: Owari-no-Tsubone (尾張局), Priest』s daughter

　• Son: Imperial Prince Priest Sonsyu (尊守法親王; 1210-1260）

• Court Lady: Priest Shine』s daughter

　• Son: Imperial Prince Priest Sonjo (尊助法親王; 1217-1290）

• Court Lady: Jibukyo-no-tsubone (治部卿局), Priest』s Daughter

　• Son: Imperial Prince Priest Dōen (道円法親王; 1210-1240）

　• Daughter: Princess Nobuko (信子女王)

• Court Lady: Omiya-no-Tsubone (大宮局), Minamoto Arimasa』s daughter

　• Daughter: Imperial Princess Teruko (曦子内親王) later Senkamon-in (仙華門院)

• Court Lady: (Fujiwara), Priest』s Daughter

　• Son: Imperial Prince Priest Sainin (最仁法親王; 1227-1295）

• Court Lady: Kunaikyō-no-tsubone (宮内卿局), Fujiwara Norimitsu』s daughter

　• Daughter: Princess Tomoko (知子女王)

• Court Lady: (Fujiwara), Priest』s Daughter

　• Son: Zojin

• Court Lady: Sakyōdaibu-no-Tsubone, Priest』s Daughter

　• Daughter: Imperial Princess Junko (諄子内親王; d.1260)

• Court Lady: Tanba-no-Tsubone, Priest』s Daughter

　• Daughter: Princess Koreko (是子女王)

• Mother Unknown:

　• daughter, adopted by Prince Hokuroku

　• Kaison (懐尊)

　• Jakue (寂恵)

Events of Tsuchimikados life

In 1198, he became emperor upon the abdication of Emperor Go-Toba, who continued to exercise Imperial powers as cloistered emperor.

• 1198 (Kenkyū 9, 11th day of the 1st month): In the 15th year of Go-Toba-tennō 's reign (後鳥羽天皇十五年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by his eldest son.

• 1198 (Kenkyū 9, 3rd month): Emperor Tsuchimikado is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).

• 1199: Shortly after Tsuchimikado's reign began, Minamoto no Yoritomo died.

• 1203: Yoritomo's successor as head of the Kamakura shogunate, Minamoto no Yoriie, was assassinated;and former emperor Go-Toba was responsible for good relations with the shogunate when it was headed by Minamoto no Sanetomo from 1203 through 1219.

• 1210: Go-Toba persuaded Tsuchimikado to abdicate in favor of his younger brother, who would become known as Emperor Juntoku.

In Kyōto, Minamoto no Michichika took power as steward, and in Kamakura, in 1199, upon the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo, Hōjō Tokimasa began to rule as Gokenin.

Tsuchimikado removed himself from Kyoto, traveling first to Tosa Province (now known as Kōchi Prefecture); and later, he moved to Awa province (now known as Tokushima Prefecture), where he died in exile.

• 1231: The former emperor died at age 35.

Tsuchimikado's official Imperial tomb is in Kyoto. The emperor is venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi). This mausoleum shrine is formally named Kanegahara no misasagi.

Kugyō

Kugyō (公卿) 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 Tsuchimikado's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:

• Sesshō, Konoe Motomichi, 1160–1233.

• Sesshō, Kujō Yoshitsune, 1169–1206.

• Daijō-daijin, Kujō Yoshitsune.

• Sadaijin

• Udaijin

• Naidaijin

• Dainagon

Eras of Tsuchimikados reign

The years of Tschuimikado's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.

• Kenkyū (1190–1199)

• Shōji (1199–1201)

• Kennin (1201–1204)

• Genkyū (1204–1206)

• Ken'ei (1206–1207)

• Jōgen (1207–1211)

Ancestry