Although there were eight reigning empresses, with only one exception their successors were selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline.

[5] After many centuries, female reigns came to be officially prohibited only when the Imperial Household Law was issued in 1889 alongside the new Meiji Constitution.

The eight historical empresses regnant are: Other than the eight historical empresses regnant, two additional empress are traditionally believed to have reigned, but historical evidence for their reigns is scant and they are not counted among the officially numbered Emperors/Empresses regnant: Under Shinto religious influence, the goddess Amaterasu, who is of the highest rank in the kami system, might suggest that Japan's first rulers were women.

[6] According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki chronicles in Japanese mythology, the Emperors of Japan are considered to be direct descendants of Amaterasu.

日葉酢媛命 播磨稲日大郎姫 八坂入媛命 Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE / AD 1 individuals that were given the title of empress posthumously 2 individuals elevated to the rank of empress due to their position as honorary mother of the emperor 3 Shōshi served briefly as honorary empress for her younger brother Emperor Go-Daigo Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE / AD 1 individuals that were given the title of empress dowager posthumously 2 title removed in 896 due to a suspected affair with head priest of the Toko-ji Temple; title posthumously restored in 943 3 was made High Empress or de jure empress dowager during her husband's reign Years are in CE / AD 1 individuals that were given the title of grand empress dowager posthumously