Tachibana no Kachiko

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Tachibana no Kachiko
{{lang|ja|橘嘉智子}}

| image = Nine Stages of Decomposition of the Heian Period Empress Danrin, Honolulu Museum of Art II.JPG

| consort = yes

| succession = Empress consort of Japan

| reign = August 21, 815 – June 5, 823

| succession1 = Empress dowager of Japan

| reign1 = April 23, 823 – March 2, 833 

| succession2 = Grand empress dowager of Japan

| reign2 = March 26, 833 – June 17, 850

| birth_date = 786

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|850|6|17|786}}

| death_place = Heian Kyō (Kyōto)

| burial_date =

| burial_place =

| royal house = Tachibana (by birth)
Imperial House of Japan (by marriage)

| spouse = Emperor Saga

| issue = Emperor Ninmyō
Princess Seishi
Princess Hideko
Prince Hidera
Princess Toshiko
Princess Yoshiko
Princess Shigeko

| father = Tachibana no Kiyotomo

| mother = Taguchi Michihime

}}

{{family name hatnote|Tachibana|lang=Japanese}}

{{Nihongo|Tachibana no Kachiko|橘 嘉智子||786 – June 17, 850}}, also known as {{Nihongo|Empress Danrin|檀林皇后|Danrin-kōgō}}, was a Japanese empress, the chief consort of Emperor SagaPonsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, pp. 318-319. and the daughter of {{nihongo|Tachibana no Kiyotomo|橘 清友}}.Ponsonby-Fane, p. 319. She was de facto ruler of the empire between 833 and 850.

The empress was a devout Buddhist. She founded the Buddhist Danrin-ji temple complex, and for this reason, she came to be called Danrin-kōgō.

She died in the 4th day of the 5th month of 850.Adolphson, Mikael et al. (2006). {{Google books|UjB8yiiGDykC|Heian Japan, Centers and Peripheries, p. 23.|page=23}} Known for her renowned beauty in her life, on her deathbed, Empress Danrin requested her body to be left open to the environment for the public to see the effects of human decomposition. This event later became a popular Japanese folk legend and was later depicted by the 18th century painting "[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nine_Stages_of_Decomposition_of_the_Heian_Period_Empress_Danrin Nine Stages of Decomposition of the Heian Period Empress Danrin]".{{cite web |title=The Empress Danrin was a beautiful woman and "Katabira no Tsuji," the entrance to her burial place |url=https://www.leafkyoto.net/en/makai/2019/08/katabiranotsuji/ |website=Leaf KYOTO |language=ja |date=1 June 2024}}