Dōkyō

• Period: Nara Period
• Occupation: Buddhist Monk
• Family: –
• Birth: –
• Death:-

Dōkyō

Dōkyō (道鏡) was a Buddhist Priest who lived during the Nara Period and the reign of Empress Kōken.

At the time he was renowned as the medical authority and so when Kōken became ill he was called upon to heal her. After he had done so she promoted him for his services.

Once the Empress came to rule for a second time as Empress Shōtoku she again promotes Dōkyō to the point where it appeared she may even have been preparing him to take the throne.¹

Footnotes

1. Tsurumi, P. (1981) “Early Female Emperors” Historical Reflections Vol.8 No.1 pp.41-49.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.