also: じんのう · じんこう
A formal or historical term for an emperor, especially in contexts distinguishing human sovereigns from divine beings. Often used in classical or religious texts.
The reign of the emperor lasted long.
In mythology, the emperor is said to be a descendant of Amaterasu.
Standard kanji spelling; にんのう is the most common reading.
Alternate reading, less common than にんのう.
Rare reading; may appear in older texts.
Literally “human sovereign,” used in traditional historical chronology for the line of human emperors following the preceding ages of heavenly and earthly deities.