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He was a noted scholar and earned renown for his skill at [[tanka]] poetry, calligraphy and painting and in his role as Retired Emperor (''Jōkō'' 上皇) visited the Shugakuin Imperial Villa a total of 21 times, later immortalising this in a collected series of poems and drawings, still in print today. In addition, the ''Arisu-gawa'' calligraphy style was derived from the Emperor's penmanship.

He was a noted scholar and earned renown for his skill at [[tanka]] poetry, calligraphy and painting and in his role as Retired Emperor (''Jōkō'' 上皇) visited the Shugakuin Imperial Villa a total of 21 times, later immortalising this in a collected series of poems and drawings, still in print today. In addition, the ''Arisu-gawa'' calligraphy style was derived from the Emperor's penmanship.

A deeply religious man, he is referred to as the "Cloistered Emperor", leaving all affairs of state to the Shōgunate and the management of the Imperial household his advisers. However, the Shōgunate took advantage of this to ensure that the Emperor remained cloistered, by controlling the chief adviser to the Emperor and thus running the imperial household by proxy. Via this route, they promulgated the "Laws Governing the Imperial Court Nobility" which specifically set out what a retired Emperor could and couldn't do. However, these Laws were immediately circumvented by Reigen following his abdication, as he continued to hold the Imperial reigns, on the pretext that he would rule as ''Jōkō'' until his son came of age. This lead to a worsening of relations between the Imperial palace and the Tokugawa Shōgunate, which only improved once Emperor Higashiyama took over the reigns of power himself. Following Higashiyama's death at an early age, Reigen was once again torn away from his beloved studies, to rule as ''Jōkō'', until the infant Emperor Nakamikado came of age.  

A deeply religious man, he is referred to as the "Cloistered Emperor", leaving all affairs of state to the Shōgunate and the management of the Imperial household his advisers. However, the Shōgunate took advantage of this to ensure that the Emperor remained cloistered, by controlling the chief adviser to the Emperor and thus running the imperial household by proxy. Via this route, they promulgated the "Laws Governing the Imperial Court Nobility" which specifically set out what a retired Emperor could and couldn't do. However, these Laws were immediately circumvented by Reigen following his abdication, as he continued to hold the Imperial reigns, on the pretext that he would rule as ''Jōkō'' until his son came of age. This led to a worsening of relations between the Imperial palace and the Tokugawa Shōgunate, which only improved once Emperor Higashiyama took over the reigns of power himself. Following Higashiyama's death at an early age, Reigen was once again torn away from his beloved studies, to rule as ''Jōkō'', until the infant Emperor Nakamikado came of age.  

In 1713, wanting to devote himself fully to his studies and religion, he shaved his head, and - as his eldest sons had done before him - retreated to a monastery, taking on the name Sojō (素浄), meaning "pure and unadorned". He remained there until his death in 1732, at the age of 78.

In 1713, wanting to devote himself fully to his studies and religion, he shaved his head, and - as his eldest sons had done before him - retreated to a monastery, taking on the name Sojō (素浄), meaning "pure and unadorned". He remained there until his death in 1732, at the age of 78.