Emperor Kazan (花山天皇 Kazan Tennō) (968-1008) was the 65th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He ruled from 984 to 986 - he was seventeen years of age at the time of the succession. He commissioned the Shuishu. Events Births Emperor Kazan of Japan Ethelred II of England Romanus Argyrus, later Romanus III of the Eastern Roman Empire. ... Events Olof, king of Sweden, is baptized. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Enyu of Japan Emperor Kazan ascends to the throne of Japan Births Deaths Categories: 984 ... Events March 2 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks End of the reign of Emperor Kazan of Japan Emperor Ichijo ascends to the throne of Japan Explorer Bjarni Herjólfsson becomes the first inhabitant of the Old World to sight North America Births Deaths March 2 - Lothair, King of... The ShÅ«ishÅ« (Collection of Gleanings) was an imperial anthology of Japanese waka, compiled at the behest of Emperor Kazan, by Fujiwara no Kintō (966-1041) (son of Fujiwara no Yoritada). ...

He was the son of Emperor Reizei, and therefore brother of Emperor Sanjō. He faced a tough political struggle from the Fujiwara family and at the age of nineteen, he was tricked into abdicating by Fujiwara no Kaneie. Emperor Reizei (冷泉天皇; 12 June 950 - 21 November 1011) was the 63rd emperor of Japan (967 - 969). ... Emperor Sanjō (三条天皇) (February 5, 976 - June 5, 1017) was the 67th imperial ruler of Japan. ... Fujiwara (藤原) can refer to: The Fujiwara clan and its members Kamatari Fujiwara Keiji Fujiwara Fujiwara-no-Sai, character of Hikaru no Go Takumi Tak Fujiwara, character of Initial D Zakuro Fujiwara, character of Tokyo Mew Mew (Known as Renee Roberts in the Mew Mew Power English anime) This... Fujiwara no Kaneie (藤原 兼家; 929 - 990), the third son of Morosuke, was a kugyo (Japanese nobel) of Heian period who served as Sessho and Kampaku, regent positions. ...

Bando Pilgrimage

After his abdication, he became a Buddhist monk. He went on various pilgrimages and 're-founded' the Kannon pilgrimage, as a monk to the name of Tokudo Shonin (Some scholars doubt that Kazan, in his unstable mental health was not likely to have fonded it, thereby leaving all of the credit to Shonin) had supposedlly already created it. This pilgrimage involved travelling to 33 locations across the eight provinces of the Bando area. A pilgrimage is a journey by a religious person to a place that is sacred according to his or her religion. ...

He was told to visit these 33 sites, in order to bring release from suffering, by Kannon Bosatsu in a vision. Kuan Yin (觀音; Pinyin: Guān Yīn) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. ...

It is said that the first site of the pilgrimage was the Sugimoto-dera in Kamakura. This site is also the first site on the Kamakura pilgrimage.

Illness and Death

It is suggested by many scholars that the mental health of Kazan, particularly in later life, was not brilliant. Therefore, whilst living as a monk, his lifestyle may have deteriorated. He died at the age of 40.

References

1. Liza Dalby.