There were eight female imperial reigns (Six female emperors including two who reigned twice) in Japan's early history, between 592 and 770, and two more in the early modern (Tokugawa)period. After many centuries, female reigns came to be officially prohibited only when the Imperial Household Law was issued in 1889 alongside the new Meiji constitution.

• Jingu of Japan 206-209 - mythical

• Empress Suiko 593-628 - first empress
• Empress Kogyoku 642-645 - formerly Princess Takara (Empress Consort of Kotoku)
• Empress Saimei 655-661 (same person as Kogyoku)
• Empress Jitō 690-697
• Empress Gemmei 707-715
• Empress Genshō 715-724 - formerly Princess Hidaka
• Empress Kōken 749-758
• Empress Shōtoku 764-770 (same person as Koken)
• Empress Meishō 1629-1643
• Empress Go-Sakuramachi 1762-1771 - last empress and ruled as empress regent

A partial list of non-ruling empresses of Japan: Empress Consort JingÅ« of Japan (c. ... Empress Suiko (推古天皇 Suiko Tennō) (554-April 15, 628[1]) was the 33rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the first known woman to hold this position. ... Empress Kōgyoku (皇極天皇 Kōgyoku Tennō), also Empress Saimei (斉明天皇 Saimei Tennō) (594–August 24, 661[1]) was the 35th and 37th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Empress Kōgyoku (皇極天皇) or Saimei (斉明天皇) (594–661) was the 35th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Empress Jitō (from Ogura Hyakunin Isshu) Tomb of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jitō Empress Jitō (持統天皇 Jitō Tennō) (645 – December 22, 702[1]) was the 41st imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Empress Gemmei (also Empress Genmyō; 元明天皇 Genmei Tennō) (661 – December 7, 721) was the 43rd imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the fourth woman to hold such a position. ... Empress Genshō (元正天皇 Genshō Tennō) (680 – April 21, 748) was the 44th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Empress Kōken (孝謙天皇 Kōken Tennō) also Empress Shōtoku (称徳天皇 Shōtoku Tennō) (718 – August 28, 770[1]) was both the 46th and 48th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Empress Kōken (孝謙天皇 Kōken Tennō) also Empress Shōtoku (称徳天皇 Shōtoku Tennō) (718 – August 28, 770[1]) was both the 46th and 48th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Empress Meishō (明正天皇 Meishō Tennō) (January 9, 1624–December 4, 1696) was the 109th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from December 22, 1629 to November 14, 1643. ... Empress Go-Sakuramachi (後桜町天皇) (September 23, 1740 - December 24, 1813) was the 117th imperial ruler of Japan. ...

• Empress Michiko of Japan
• Empress Kōjun
• Empress Teimei
• Empress Shōken
• Empress Dowager Kaimei
• Fujiwara no Otomuro or Empress Fujiwara no Junshi
• Empress consort Anshi
• Empress Chōshi
• Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Yoshiko
• Empress (chūgū) Imperial Princess Akiko
• Empress (kōgō) Fujiwara no Hiroko
• Empress (kōgō) Fujiwara no Kanko