Empress Meishō was the 96th emperor of Japan, reigning from 1629 to 1643. She was the first woman to ascend to the throne in over a thousand years, following the abdication of her half-brother, Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Her reign was marked by a focus on cultural development and the arts, as well as the consolidation of power within the imperial court. During her time, Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, which maintained a strict social order and limited the power of the emperor. After her abdication, Empress Meishō lived a quiet life until her death in 1700, leaving a legacy as a significant figure in Japanese history.