The authority of the Emperor was preserved under the Edo Bakufu (from 1603); but as seen in the Shie Incident Emperors had almost no political power except few occasions such as deciding the name of an era; (Shie Incident refers to the incident in which Emperor Gomizuno gave purple robes, symbolizing the highest order of priesthood, to Daitoku-ji Temple and Myoshin-ji Temple in 1627 without the approval of Bakufu and caused Bakufu to take back the purple robes to deny the authority of Emperor Gomizuno.)
江戸幕府のもとでも天皇の権威は温存されたが、紫衣事件などにみられるように、年号の勅定などを僅かな例外として政治権力はほとんどなかった。