Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Who was Emperor Go-Shirakawa?

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158.

This 12th-century sovereign was named after the 11th century Emperor Shirakawa, and go-, translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Shirakawa". The Japanese word go has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Shirakawa, the second," or as "Shirakawa II."