Kōtoku
Emperor of Japan (596-654, r. 645-654) · Japan · On the map · Historical Figures · Died at 58
Japan's 36th emperor, the ruler who steered the throne through the decade that remade the court - the 645 coup and the Taika reforms happened on his watch.
Kōtoku is read about 311 times a day, in 37 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 9 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 111 days, one point a day.
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About this person
Born in 596, Kōtoku inherited the throne in 645, the year a palace revolt upended the old guard and installed a new order. His nine-year reign, from 645 to 654, coincided with the Taika reforms - the push to centralize power and remodel the state along continental lines. He died on 24 November 654, leaving a court transformed from the one he'd entered.
