On August 1, 986, Emperor Kazan left the Imperial Palace for good in order to become a Buddhist monk, and subsequently Emperor Ichijo was enthroned in his seventh year (it is said that this was a conspiracy by Kaneie set up a grandchild for enthronement at an early age).
寛和2年（986）6月23日（8月1日）、花山天皇が内裏を抜け出して出家してしまったために、数え年7歳で即位した（孫の早期即位を狙った兼家の陰謀と言われる）。