Emperor Ankō

Emperor Ankō (安康天皇, Ankō-tennō) was the 20th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 453–456.

Legendary narrative

Ankō was a 5th-century monarch. The reign of Emperor Kimmei (509?–571 AD), the 29th emperor, is the first for which contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates; however, the conventionally accepted names and dates of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kammu (737–806), the 50th sovereign of the Yamato dynasty.

According to Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Ankō was the second son of Emperor Ingyō. His elder brother Prince Kinashi no Karu was the crown prince, but due to an incestuous relationship with his sister, Karu no Ōiratsume, Kinashikaru lost favour with the court. After an aborted attempt to rally troops against Ankō, Kinashi no Karu (and his sister-lover) were exiled and committed suicide.