Retired emperor

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Retired emperor (Chinese: Taishanghuang (太上皇), rarer Taishanghuangdi (太上皇帝); Japanese: Daijotenno (太上天皇) or Joko (上皇)) was a honorific title occasionally given to former emperors who had (at least on the surface) abdicated voluntarily to their sons. The title originated, however, from Liu Bang (Emperor Gao of Han)'s father Liu Zhijia (劉執嘉), who was honored as such after Liu Bang declared himself emperor in 202, even though Liu Zhijia was never emperor himself. The title, or variants thereof, were occasionally used in all states within the Chinese sphere of influence, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

For the particular implications of the Japanese retired emperors' use of their retired status to combat nobles seeking to control the government, see Cloistered rule.

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