What was the name of the legendary first Emperor of Japan?

The legendary Emperor Jimmu (or Jinmu-tennō) is traditionally considered the first Emperor of Japan. He was said to have been born in 711 BC. He ascended the throne, aged 51 in 660 BC and ruled until 585 BC. Jimmu was believed to be a descendant of the sun-goddess Amaterasu as well as a descendant of the storm god, Susanoo. According to legend, Jimmu launched a military expedition from Hyuga and captured Yamato, and established this as his center of power.

The line of Emperors of Japan claim to trace their ancestry back to this legendary first emperor, in an unbroken succession of 125 rulers. The earliest historical emperor (generally agreed upon by historians) dates to the 5th century AD. The earliest emperor that verifiable dates have been assigned is Emperor Kinmei (6th century AD).

The role of the emperor ranged between a ceremonial symbol of the country to that of an actual empowered ruler. After the first shogunate was created in 1192, the emperor rarely acted in a military capacity. During the control by shoguns between 1192 and 1867, the emperor-appointed shogun or the shogun's shikken regents (1203-1333) were the de facto rulers of Japan, although the shoguns were nominally appointed by the emperor.

The Meji Restoration restored power back to the emperor. After World War II and the adoption of the 1947 constitution, the emperor returned to a figurehead position.