Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Go-Shirakawa (1127–1192), a son of Emperor Toba, took the throne in 1155 after Emperor Konoe's sudden death, bypassing retired Emperor Sutoku's heir. In 1156 he won the Hōgen Rebellion with Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo, then abdicated in 1158 and ruled as cloistered emperor through five reigns.

After the Taira beat the Minamoto in the 1160 Heiji Disturbance, Kiyomori dominated the court and confined him after the Shishigatani plot. In the Genpei War he backed Minamoto no Yoritomo; the Taira were destroyed at Dan-no-ura in 1185.