Fujiwara no Onshi (藤原穏子)

FUJIWARA no Onshi/Yasuko (885 - February 9, 954) was a daughter of FUJIWARA no Mototsune. Her mother was Princess Soshi (a daughter of Imperial Prince Saneyasu). She was the second consort of the sixtieth Emperor Daigo and biological mother of the sixty-first Emperor Suzaku and the sixty-second Emperor Murakami. Her alias was Gojo no kisaki.

She got married to Emperor Daigo and became a nyogo (a consort of an emperor) in 901. In 909, she was given the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank), then officially became the second consort of the Emperor by royal edict in 923. Emperor Daigo transferred the imperial throne to his successor in 930 and immediately after that, he passed away. Emperor Suzaku ascended the throne. In 931, she became the Empress Dowager. In 946, she became the Grand Empress Dowager when Emperor Murakami ascended the throne. In 954, she passed away at Shoyosha in the Imperial Palace. Her age at death was 70.

Although she gave birth to the Imperial Prince Yasuakira, he died very young and her grandson, Prince Yoshiyori also died at the age of 5, however, she officially became the second consort in the same year when Imperial Prince Yasuakira died, then she gave birth to Imperial Prince Yutaakira/Hiroakira (Emperor Suzaku) and Imperial Prince Nariakira (Emperor Murakami) in succession and became a mother of the Emperor for 2 generations, which strengthen the foundation of a blooming regency government. Neither Emperor Suzaku nor Emperor Murakami had an empress, she remained the only Empress in the Imperial Palace during her lifetime. When Onshi/Yasuko became the consort of the Emperor, the post of the second consort was created and it became mainstream after that.

The Imperial mausoleum is located in Uji no misasagi (the Uji Mausoleum) (present-day Kohata Nakamura, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture).

[Original Japanese]