Emperor Yōzei

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Emperor Yōzei (陽成天皇 Yōzei Tennō) (869-949) was the 57th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He took the throne in 876 following his father's abdication and reigned until being deposed in 884. He was succeeded by his father's uncle, Emperor Kōkō.

According to very scanty information from the Imperial archives, including sources such as Rikkokushi, and Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku, Emperor Yozei committed murder by killing one of his retainers, an action that caused massive scandal in the Heian court. Japanese society during the Heian era was very sensitive to issues of "pollution", both spiritual and personal. Deaths (especially killing animals or people) were the worst acts of pollution possible, and warranted days of seclusion in order to purify oneself. Since the Emperor was seen as a divine figure and linked to the deities, pollution of such extreme degree committed by the highest source was seen as extremely ruinous. Because many of the high court officials saw Emperor Yozei's actions as exceeding the bounds of acceptable behavior, he was forcibly deposed, and retired from the throne.