The Deposition of Junnin and Shōtoku's Restoration

The defeat of Fujiwara no Nakamaro's armed rebellion in 764 removed Emperor Junnin's most powerful ministerial supporter. The retired Empress Kōken had directed the forces that defeated Nakamaro, and the conflict left Junnin's position exposed.

In the tenth month of 764, Junnin was deposed and sent to Awaji Island under guard. Kōken returned to the throne, ruling under the name Shōtoku. The deposition reunited the reigning sovereign's office with the authority she had exercised while retired; Junnin's removal was a separate action after the fighting.

The Shoku Nihongi records that Junnin tried to leave his confinement in the tenth month of 765. Guards stopped him and he returned to the residence, where he died the next day. The account establishes the sequence but not a secure cause of death. Shōtoku continued to rule, while the monk Dōkyō rose to senior positions under her patronage.