Emperor Junnin of Japan - Definition and Overview

Emperor Junnin (淳仁天皇) (733-765) was the 47th imperial ruler of Japan from 758 to 764. He became emperor on the abdication of his second cousin, Empress Koken, but six years later she forced him to abdicate and reclaimed the throne. Though he technically reigned, he did not feature on the official List of Japanese Emperors until the late nineteenth century; he had very little power and was a mere figurehead. He died (or was assassinated) while in exile. In some older Japanese documents, he was usually referred as Haitei(廃帝), the unthroned emperor.