Empress Meisho of Japan
Empress Meishō (明正天皇) (1623-1696) was the 109th imperial ruler of Japan, reigning from 1629 to 1643. She was the first woman to occupy the Japanese throne since the death of Empress Shōtoku in 769. Meishō's grandfather was Tokugawa Hidetada, the second Tokugawa shogun and her mother, Hidetada's daughter, was Tokugawa Kazuko. She became empress at the age of five when her father was forced to abdicated, and abdicated herself fourteen years later. She was eventually succeeded by three of her brothers, all of whom were born after she took the throne.
