Princess Iitoyo

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Princess Iitoyo (Iitoyo-hime), born about 440 and died 485, was a Japanese imperial princess who is believed by some to have briefly ruled as empress regnant between Emperor Seinei and Emperor Kenzō. Her burial site is the Kitahanachi Otsuka Kofun in Katsuragi.

She is also known as Queen Iitoyo, Oshinumi, and Aomi. There are two main versions of her parentage: the Kojiki says she was the daughter of Kuro-hime and the sister of Ichinobe no Oshiwa; the Nihon Shoki says she was the daughter of Oshiwa and Hae-hime. Both sources place her in the line of Emperor Richū. After Emperor Ankō’s death, Seinei sought an heir. Different chronicles tell different stories about how Woke and Ōke were found, but both agree that Iitoyo served as regent for a short time before Woke became Emperor Kenzō. Because of these conflicting accounts, historians debate whether she was a true reigning empress or a regent. She is not listed among the official emperors, though some later texts and traditions call her Empress Iitoyo. Her mausoleum is maintained, and her story highlights early questions about female rule in Japan.