Japanese era name

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The Japanese era name (Japanese: 年号ねんごう, Hepburn: nengō, "year name") or gengō (元号げんごう), is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being "gan (元もと)"), followed by the literal "nen (年とし)" meaning "year".

Era names originated in 140 BCE in Imperial China, during the reign of the Emperor Wu of Han.[1][2] As elsewhere in the Sinosphere, the use of era names was originally derived from Chinese imperial practice,[2][3][4] although the Japanese system is independent of the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese era name systems. Unlike its other Sinosphere counterparts, Japanese era names are still in official use. Government offices usually require era names and years for official papers.

The five era names used since the end of the Edo period in 1868 can be abbreviated by taking the first letter of their romanized names. For example, S55 means Shōwa 55 (i.e. 1980), and H22 stands for Heisei 22 (2010). At 62 years and 2 weeks, Shōwa is the longest era to date.

The Reiwa (令れい和わ)[5] era began on 1 May 2019, the day of accession of Naruhito to the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan,[6] following the day of the planned and voluntary abdication[7] of his father, the 125th Emperor, Akihito. Emperor Akihito had received special permission to abdicate,[8] rather than serving in his role until his death, as is the rule.[9] The Reiwa (令れい和わ) era followed the 31st and final year of the Heisei era (平成へいせい31年ねん), which had started on the day after the death of Emperor Hirohito on 8 January 1989.

Overview[edit]

Keizō Obuchi, Chief Cabinet Secretary, announces the name of the new era "Heisei" (平成へいせい), on 7 January 1989.
Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary, announces the name of the new era "Reiwa" (令れい和わ) at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, on 1 April 2019.
1729 Japanese calendar, which used the Jōkyō calendar procedure, published by Ise Grand Shrine
External Timeline A graphical timeline is available at
Japanese era names

The system on which the Japanese era names are based originated in China in 140 BC, and was adopted by Japan in 645 AD, during the reign of Emperor Kōtoku.

The first era name to be assigned was "Taika" (大化たいか), celebrating the political and organizational changes which were to flow from the great Taika reform (大化たいかの改新かいしん) of 645. Although the regular practice of proclaiming successive era names was interrupted in the late seventh century, it was permanently re-adopted in 701 during the reign of Emperor Monmu (697–707). Since then, era names have been used continuously up through the present day.[10]

Historical nengō[edit]

Prior to the Meiji period, era names were decided by court officials and were subjected to frequent change. A new era name was usually proclaimed within a year or two after the ascension of a new emperor. A new era name was also often designated on the first, fifth and 58th years of the sexagenary cycle, because they were inauspicious years in Onmyōdō. These three years are respectively known as kakurei, kakuun, and kakumei, and collectively known as sankaku. Era names were also changed due to other felicitous events or natural disasters.

In historical practice, the first day of a nengō (元年がんねん, gannen) starts whenever the emperor chooses; and the first year continues until the next lunar new year, which is understood to be the start of the nengō's second year.[11]

Era names indicate the various reasons for their adoption. For instance, the nengō Wadō (和銅わどう), during the Nara period, was declared due to the discovery of copper deposits in Chichibu. Most nengō are composed of two kanji, except for a short time during the Nara period when four-kanji names were sometimes adopted to follow the Chinese trend. Tenpyō Kanpō (天平てんぴょう感かん宝たから), Tenpyō Shōhō (天平てんぴょう勝かち宝たから), Tenpyō Hōji (天平てんぴょう宝たから字じ) and Tenpyō Jingo (天平てんぺい神護かんご) are some famous nengō names that use four characters. Since the Heian period, Confucian thoughts and ideas have been reflected in era names, such as Daidō (大同だいどう), Kōnin (弘ひろし仁ひとし) and Tenchō (天てん長ちょう).[citation needed] Although there currently exist a total of 248 Japanese era names, only 73 kanji have been used in composing them. Out of these 73 kanji, 31 of them have been used only once, while the rest have been used repeatedly in different combinations.

The vast majority of Japanese Era Names were used for less than 10 years, with two being used for less than a year. Only 28 have been used for more than 10 years and less than 30 years. Only Heisei, Oei, Meiji, and Showa have been used for more than 30 years.

Nengō in modern Japan[edit]

Mutsuhito assumed the throne in 1867, during the third year of the Keiō (慶応けいおう) era. On 23 October 1868, the era name was changed to "Meiji" (明治めいじ), and a "one reign, one era name" (一世一元いっせいいちげん, issei-ichigen) system was adopted, wherein era names would change only upon immediate imperial succession. This system is similar to the now-defunct Chinese system used since the days of the Ming dynasty. The Japanese nengō system differs from Chinese practice, in that in the Chinese system the era name was not updated until the year following the emperor's death.

In modern practice, the first year of a nengō (元年がんねん, gannen) starts immediately upon the emperor's accession and ends on 31 December. Subsequent years follow the Gregorian calendar. For example, the Meiji era lasted until 30 July 1912, when the Emperor died and the Taishō (大正たいしょう) era was proclaimed. 1912 is therefore known as both "Meiji 45" and "Taishō 1" (大正たいしょう元年がんねん, Taishō gannen), although Meiji technically ended on 30 July with Mutsuhito's death.

This practice, implemented successfully since the days of Meiji but never formalized, became law in 1979 with the passage of the Era Name Law (元号げんごう法ほう, gengō-hō). Thus, since 1868, there have only been five era names assigned: Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa, each corresponding with the rule of only one emperor. Upon death, the emperor is thereafter referred to by the era of his reign. For example, Mutsuhito is posthumously known as "Emperor Meiji" (明治天皇めいじてんのう, Meiji Tennō).

It is protocol in Japan that the reigning emperor be referred to as Tennō Heika (天皇陛下てんのうへいか, "His Majesty the Emperor") or Kinjō Tennō (今上きんじょう天皇てんのう, "current emperor"). To call the current emperor by the current era name, i.e. "Reiwa", even in English,[citation needed] is a faux pas, as this is – and will be – his posthumous name. Use of the emperor's given name (i.e., "Naruhito") is rare, and is considered vulgar behaviour in Japanese.

The Emperor Akihito abdicated on 30 April 2019, necessitating a change in nengō. The new name, made public on the morning of 1 May of the same year, is Reiwa (令れい和わ).[5]

Periods without era names[edit]

The era name system that was introduced by Emperor Kōtoku was abandoned after his death; no era names were designated between 654 and 686. The system was briefly reinstated by Emperor Tenmu in 686, but was again abandoned upon his death about two months later. In 701, Emperor Monmu once again reinstated the era name system, and it has continued uninterrupted through today.

Although use of the Gregorian calendar for historical dates became increasingly common in Japan, the traditional Japanese system demands that dates be written in reference to era names. The apparent problem introduced by the lack of era names was resolved by identifying the years of an imperial reign as a period.[12]

Although in modern Japan posthumous imperial names correspond with the eras of their reign, this is a relatively recent concept, introduced in practice during the Meiji period and instituted by law in 1979. Therefore, the posthumous names of the emperors and empresses who reigned prior to 1868 may not be taken as era names by themselves. For example, the year 572—the year in which Emperor Bidatsu assumed the Chrysanthemum Throne – is properly written as "敏さとし達たち天皇てんのう元年がんねん" (Bidatsu-Tennō Gannen, "the first year of Emperor Bidatsu"), and not "敏さとし達たち元年がんねん" (Bidatsu Gannen, "the first year of Bidatsu"), although it may be abbreviated as such.[13] By incorporating both proper era names and posthumous imperial names in this manner, it is possible to extend the nengō system to cover all dates from 660 BCE through today.[14]

Unofficial era name system[edit]

In addition to the official era name system, in which the era names are selected by the imperial court, one also observes—primarily in the ancient documents and epigraphs of shrines and temples—unofficial era names called shinengō (私わたし年ねん号ごう, "personal era name"), also known as ginengō (偽にせ年号ねんごう) or inengō (異い年号ねんごう). Currently, there are over 40 confirmed shinengō, most of them dating from the middle ages. Shinengō used prior to the reestablishment of the era name system in 701 are usually called itsunengō (逸いっ年号ねんごう).[a]

Because official records of shinengō are lacking, the range of dates to which they apply is often unclear. For example, the well-known itsunengō Hakuhō (白鳳はくほう) is normally said to refer to 650–654 CE; a poetic synonym for the Hakuchi era. However, alternate interpretations exist. For example, in the Nichūreki, Hakuhō refers to 661–683 CE, and in some medieval temple documents, Hakuhō refers to 672–685 CE. Thus, shinengō may be used as an alternative way of dating periods for which there is no official era name.

Other well-known itsunengō and shinengō include Hōkō (法ほう興きょう) (591–621+ CE), Suzaku (朱雀すじゃく) (686), Entoku (延徳えんとく) (1460), Miroku (弥勒みろく) (1506–1507 or 1507–1509) and Meiroku (命いのち禄ろく) (1540–1543).

The most recent shinengō is Seiro (征せい露ろ) (1904–1905), named for the Russo-Japanese War.

Kyūshū nengō[edit]

Edo period scholar Tsurumine Shigenobu proposed that Kyūshū nengō (九州きゅうしゅう年号ねんごう), said to have been used in ancient Kumaso, should also be considered a form of shinengō. This claim is not generally recognized by the academic community. Lists of the proposed Kyūshū nengō can be seen in the Japanese language entries 鶴つる峯みね戊つちのえ申さる and 九州きゅうしゅう王朝おうちょう説せつ.

Software support[edit]

Character sets[edit]

Certain era names have specific characters assigned to them, for instance ㋿ for the Reiwa period, which can also be written as 令れい和わ. These are included in Unicode: Code points U+32FF (㋿), U+337B (㍻), U+337C (㍼), U+337D (㍽) and U+337E (㍾) are used for the Reiwa, Heisei, Shōwa, Taishō and Meiji eras, respectively.

Calendar libraries[edit]

Certain calendar libraries support the conversion from and to the era system, as well as rendering of dates using it.

Since the release of Java 8, the Japanese calendar is supported in the new Date and time API for the year Meiji 6 (1873) onwards.[15]

Support for the new era in Japanese imperial transition of 2019[edit]

Main article: Japanese calendar era bug

Computers and software manufacturers needed to test their systems in preparation for the new era which began on 1 May 2019. Windows provided a test mechanism to simulate a new era ahead of time.[16] Java Development Kit 11 supported this era using the placeholders "元号げんごう" for Japanese, "NewEra" for other languages.[17] The final name was added in JDK 12.0.1, after it was announced by the Japanese government.[18]

Unicode code point U+32FF (㋿) was reserved for representing the new era name, Reiwa.[19][20][21][22][23][24]

The list of Japanese era names is the result of a periodization system which was established by Emperor Kōtoku in 645. The system of Japanese era names (年号ねんごう, nengō, "year name") was irregular until the beginning of the 8th century.[25] After 701, sequential era names developed without interruption across a span of centuries.[10] As of 1 April 2019, there have been 239 era names.

List of Japanese era names[edit]

To convert a Japanese year to a Gregorian calendar year, find the first year of the Japanese era name (also called nengō). When found, add the number of the Japanese year, then subtract 1.

Asuka period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Kōtoku[26]
孝徳天皇こうとくてんのう
(r. 645–654 AD)
Taika
大化たいか 		645–650 AD 7 years Book of Documents,
Book of Han,
Book of Song
Hakuchi
白しろ雉 		650–654 AD 5 years Book of Han
Emperor Tenmu[27]
天武天皇てんむてんのう
(r. 673–686 AD)
Shuchō
朱鳥あすか 		686 AD 3 months Book of Rites Also rendered as Suchō, Akamitori, and Akamidori.
Emperor Monmu[28]
文武ぶんぶ天皇てんのう
(r. 697–707 CE)
Taihō
大宝たいほう 		701–704 AD 4 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Daihō.
Keiun
慶けい雲くも 		704–708 AD 5 years Selections of Refined Literature,
Book of Jin 		Also rendered as Kyōun. Usage continued by the Empress Genmei upon her ascension to the throne.
Empress Genmei[29]
元明もとあき天皇てんのう
(r. 707–715 CE)
Wadō
和銅わどう 		708–715 AD 8 years

Nara period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Empress Genshō[30]
元正がんしょう天皇てんのう
(r. 715–724 CE)
Reiki
霊れい亀かめ 		715–717 AD 3 years Classic of Changes
Yōrō
養老ようろう 		717–724 AD 8 years Book of Rites
Emperor Shōmu[31]
聖武天皇しょうむてんのう
(r. 724–749 AD)
Jinki
神かみ亀ひさし 		724–729 AD 6 years Book of Rites with Commentaries of Dai De (大だい戴禮記き),
The Literary Expositor
Tenpyō
天平てんぺい 		729–749 AD 21 years Classic of Changes,
Great Learning 		Also rendered as Tenbyō and Tenhei.
Tenpyō-kanpō
天平てんぴょう感かん宝たから 		749 AD 4 months Also rendered as Tenbyō-kanpō and Tenhei-kanpō.
Empress Kōken[32]
孝こう謙けん天皇てんのう
(r. 749–758 CE; first reign)
Tenpyō-shōhō
天平てんぴょう勝かち宝たから 		749–757 AD 9 years Also rendered as Tenbyō-shōhō and Tenpei-shōhō.
Tenpyō-hōji
天平てんぴょう宝たから字じ 		757–765 AD 9 years Also rendered as Tenbyō-hōji and Tenpei-hōji. Usage continued by the Emperor Junnin and the Empress Shōtoku upon their ascension to the throne.
Empress Shōtoku[33]
称しょう徳とく天皇てんのう
(r. 764–770 CE; second reign)
Tenpyō-jingo
天平てんぺい神護かんご 		765–767 AD 3 years Also rendered as Tenbyō-jingo and Tenhei-jingo.
Jingo-keiun
神護かんご景けい雲くも 		767–770 AD 4 years Usage continued by the Emperor Kōnin upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kōnin[34]
光ひかり仁じん天皇てんのう
(r. 770–781 AD)
Hōki
宝たから亀ひさし 		770–781 AD 12 years Book of Rites
Emperor Kanmu[35]
桓武かんむ天皇てんのう
(r. 781–806 AD)
Ten'ō
天てん応おう 		781–782 AD 2 years Classic of Changes
Enryaku
延のべ暦れき 		782–806 AD 25 years Book of Later Han Usage continued by the Emperor Heizei upon his ascension to the throne.

Heian period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Heizei[36]
平城ひらじろ天皇てんのう
(r. 806–809 AD)
Daidō
大同だいどう 		806–810 AD 5 years Book of Rites Usage continued by the Emperor Saga upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Saga[37]
嵯峨天皇さがてんのう
(r. 809–823 AD)
Kōnin
弘ひろし仁ひとし 		810–824 AD 15 years Usage continued by the Emperor Junna upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Junna[38]
淳和天皇じゅんなてんのう
(r. 823–833 AD)
Tenchō
天てん長ちょう 		824–834 AD 11 years Usage continued by the Emperor Ninmyō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Ninmyō[39]
仁明天皇にんみょうてんのう
(r. 833–850 AD)
Jōwa
承うけたまわ和わ 		834–848 AD 15 years Also rendered as Shōwa and Sōwa.
Kashō
嘉よしみ祥さち 		848–851 AD 4 years Also rendered as Kajō. Usage continued by the Emperor Montoku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Montoku[40]
文徳ふみのり天皇てんのう
(r. 850–858 AD)
Ninju
仁じん寿ことぶき 		851–854 AD 4 years
Saikō
斉ひとし衡 		854–857 AD 4 years
Ten'an
天てん安やす 		857–859 AD 3 years Also rendered as Tennan. Usage continued by the Emperor Seiwa upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Seiwa[41]
清和せいわ天皇てんのう
(r. 858–876 AD)
Jōgan
貞さだ観かん 		859–877 AD 19 years Classic of Changes Usage continued by the Emperor Yōzei upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Yōzei[42]
陽成ようぜい天皇てんのう
(r. 876–884 CE)
Gangyō
元もと慶けい 		877–885 AD 9 years Also rendered as Gankyō and Genkei. Usage continued by the Emperor Kōkō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kōkō[43]
光孝みつたか天皇てんのう
(r. 884–887 AD)
Ninna
仁和にわ 		885–889 AD 5 years Also rendered as Ninwa. Usage continued by the Emperor Uda upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Uda[44]
宇多天皇うだてんのう
(r. 887–897 AD)
Kanpyō
寛平かんぺい 		889–898 AD 10 years Also rendered as Kanpei, Kanbyō, Kanbei, and Kanhei. Usage continued by the Emperor Daigo upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Daigo[45]
醍醐天皇だいごてんのう
(r. 897–930 AD)
Shōtai
昌あきら泰やすし 		898–901 AD 4 years
Engi
延喜えんぎ 		901–923 AD 23 years Book of Documents
Enchō
延長えんちょう 		923–931 AD 9 years Selections of Refined Literature Usage continued by the Emperor Suzaku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Suzaku[46]
朱雀すざく天皇てんのう
(r. 930–946 AD)
Jōhei
承うけたまわ平ひらた 		931–938 AD 8 years Book of Han Also rendered as Shōhei.
Tengyō
天てん慶けい 		938–947 AD 10 years Book of Han Also rendered as Tenkei and Tenkyō. Usage continued by the Emperor Murakami upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Murakami[47]
村上むらかみ天皇てんのう
(r. 946–967 AD)
Tenryaku
天てん暦れき 		947–957 AD 11 years Analects Also rendered as Tenreki.
Tentoku
天徳てんとく 		957–961 AD 5 years Classic of Changes
Ōwa
応おう和わ 		961–964 AD 4 years Book of Jin
Kōhō
康かん保たもつ 		964–968 AD 5 years Book of Documents Usage continued by the Emperor Reizei upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Reizei[48]
冷泉れいせん天皇てんのう
(r. 967–969 CE)
Anna
安和やすかず 		968–970 AD 3 years Book of Rites Also rendered as Anwa. Usage continued by the Emperor En'yū upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor En'yū[49]
円融天皇えんゆうてんのう
(r. 969–984 AD)
Tenroku
天てん禄ろく 		970–974 AD 5 years
Ten'en
天てん延のべ 		974–976 AD 3 years
Jōgen
貞元さだもと 		976–978 AD 3 years Also rendered as Teigen.
Tengen
天元てんげん 		978–983 AD 6 years
Eikan
永観えいかん 		983–985 AD 3 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Yōkan. Usage continued by the Emperor Kazan upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kazan[50]
花山はなやま天皇てんのう
(r. 984–986 AD)
Kanna
寛和ひろかず 		985–987 AD 3 years Also rendered as Kanwa. Usage continued by the Emperor Ichijō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Ichijō[51]
一条天皇いちじょうてんのう
(r. 986–1011 AD)
Eien
永えい延のべ 		987–989 AD 3 years Book of Han,
Book of Later Han 		Also rendered as Yōen.
Eiso
永えい祚 		989–990 AD 2 years Book of Jin,
Old Book of Tang 		Also rendered as Yōso.
Shōryaku
正せい暦こよみ 		990–995 AD 6 years Also rendered as Jōryaku and Shōreki.
Chōtoku
長ちょう徳いさお 		995–999 AD 5 years Admonishment by the Colonel of the City Gates (城門じょうもん校こう尉じょう箴) Also rendered as Jōryaku and Shōreki.
Chōhō
長保ながほ 		999–1004 AD 6 years Discourses of the States
Kankō
寛弘かんこう 		1004–1012 AD 9 years Book of Han Usage continued by the Emperor Sanjō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Sanjō[52]
三条さんじょう天皇てんのう
(r. 1011–1016 AD)
Chōwa
長和ながわ 		1012–1017 AD 6 years Book of Rites Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Ichijō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Ichijō[53]
後一条天皇ごいちじょうてんのう
(r. 1016–1036 AD)
Kannin
寛仁かんじん 		1017–1021 AD 5 years Records of Kuaiji (會かい稽記)
Jian
治安ちあん 		1021–1024 AD 4 years Book of Han Also rendered as Chian.
Manju
万寿まんす 		1024–1028 AD 5 years Classic of Poetry
Chōgen
長ちょう元はじめ 		1028–1037 AD 10 years Six Secret Teachings Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Suzaku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Suzaku[54]
後こう朱雀すざく天皇てんのう
(r. 1036–1045 AD)
Chōryaku
長ちょう暦こよみ 		1037–1040 AD 4 years Spring and Autumn Annals,
Book of Jin 		Also rendered as Chōreki.
Chōkyū
長久ながひさ 		1040–1044 AD 5 years Book of the Way and of Virtue
Kantoku
寛ひろし徳とく 		1044–1046 AD 3 years Book of Later Han Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Reizei upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Reizei[55]
後冷泉天皇ごれいぜいてんのう
(r. 1045–1068 AD)
Eishō
永なが承うけたまわ 		1046–1053 AD 8 years Book of Documents,
Book of Jin,
Book of Song 		Also rendered as Eijō and Yōjō.
Tengi
天てん喜き 		1053–1058 AD 6 years Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity Also rendered as Tenki.
Kōhei
康平こうへい 		1058–1065 AD 8 years Book of Later Han
Jiryaku
治ち暦れき 		1065–1069 AD 5 years Correct Interpretation of the Book of Documents (尚書しょうしょ正義まさよし) Also rendered as Chiryaku. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Sanjō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Sanjō[56]
後三条ごさんじょう天皇てんのう
(r. 1068–1073 AD)
Enkyū
延久のべひさ 		1069–1074 AD 6 years Book of Documents Usage continued by the Emperor Shirakawa upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Shirakawa[57]
白河天皇しらかわてんのう
(r. 1073–1087 CE)
Jōhō
承うけたまわ保ほ 		1074–1077 AD 4 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Shōhō and Shōho.
Jōryaku
承うけたまわ暦こよみ 		1077–1081 AD 5 years Weicheng Dianxun (維城典てん訓くん) Also rendered as Shōryaku and Shōreki.
Eihō
永えい保たもつ 		1081–1084 AD 4 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Yōhō.
Ōtoku
応おう徳とく 		1084–1087 AD 4 years Comprehensive Meaning of White Tiger Pavilion Usage continued by the Emperor Horikawa upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Horikawa[58]
堀河ほりかわ天皇てんのう
(r. 1087–1107 AD)
Kanji
寛治かんじ 		1087–1094 AD 8 years Book of Rites
Kahō
嘉よしみ保ほ 		1094–1096 AD 3 years Records of the Grand Historian
Eichō
永長ながおさ 		1096–1097 AD 2 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Yōchō.
Jōtoku
承うけたまわ徳とく 		1097–1099 AD 3 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Shōtoku.
Kōwa
康かん和かず 		1099–1104 CE 6 years Theories of Politics (政論せいろん)
Chōji
長治ながはる 		1104–1106 CE 3 years Book of Han
Kajō
嘉よしみ承うけたまわ 		1106–1108 CE 3 years Book of Han Usage continued by the Emperor Toba upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Toba[59]
鳥羽天皇とばてんのう
(r. 1107–1123 AD)
Tennin
天てん仁ひとし 		1108–1110 AD 3 years Selections of Refined Literature
Ten'ei
天てん永ひさし 		1110–1113 AD 4 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Ten'yō.
Eikyū
永久えいきゅう 		1113–1118 AD 6 years Mao Commentary Also rendered as Yōkyū.
Gen'ei
元永もとなが 		1118–1120 AD 3 years Also rendered as Gen'yō.
Hōan
保安ほあん 		1120–1124 AD 5 years Usage continued by the Emperor Sutoku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Sutoku[60]
崇徳天皇すとくてんのう
(r. 1123–1142 AD)
Tenji
天てん治ち 		1124–1126 AD 3 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Tenchi.
Daiji
大治おおはる 		1126–1131 AD 6 years Hetu Tingzuofu (河かわ圖ず挺てい佐さ輔) Also rendered as Taiji.
Tenshō
天てん承うけたまわ 		1131–1132 AD 2 years Book of Han Also rendered as Tenjō.
Chōshō
長なが承うけたまわ 		1132–1135 AD 4 years Records of the Grand Historian Also rendered as Chōjō.
Hōen
保ほ延のべ 		1135–1141 AD 7 years Selections of Refined Literature
Eiji
永治えいじ 		1141–1142 AD 2 years On the Standards for Literature (典てん論ろん),
Book of Jin 		Usage continued by the Emperor Konoe upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Konoe[61]
近衛天皇このえてんのう
(r. 1142–1155 AD)
Kōji
康治こうじ 		1142–1144 AD 3 years Book of Song
Ten'yō
天てん養やしなえ 		1144–1145 AD 2 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Tennyō.
Kyūan
久安ひさやす 		1145–1151 AD 7 years Book of Jin
Ninpei
仁平にだいら 		1151–1154 AD 4 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Ninpyō, Ninbyō, Ninhyō, and Ninhei.
Kyūju
久寿きゅうじゅ 		1154–1156 AD 3 years Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Shirakawa upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Shirakawa[62]
後白河天皇ごしらかわてんのう
(r. 1155–1158 AD)
Hōgen
保ほ元もと 		1156–1159 AD 4 years Instructions for the Yan Clan (顏かお氏家うじいえ訓さとし) Also rendered as Hogen. Usage continued by the Emperor Nijō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Nijō[63]
二条天皇にじょうてんのう
(r. 1158–1165 CE)
Heiji
平治へいじ 		1159–1160 AD 2 years Records of the Grand Historian Also rendered as Byōji.
Eiryaku
永えい暦れき 		1160–1161 AD 2 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Yōryaku.
Ōhō
応おう保ほ 		1161–1163 AD 3 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Ōpō.
Chōkan
長ちょう寛ひろし 		1163–1165 AD 3 years Weicheng Dianxun (維城典てん訓くん) Also rendered as Chōgan.
Eiman
永えい万よろず 		1165–1166 AD 2 years Book of Han Also rendered as Yōman. Usage continued by the Emperor Rokujō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Rokujō[64]
六ろく条じょう天皇てんのう
(r. 1165–1168 AD)
Nin'an
仁じん安やす 		1166–1169 AD 4 years Correct Interpretation of the Mao Commentary (毛もう詩し正義まさよし) Also rendered as Ninnan. Usage continued by the Emperor Takakura upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Takakura[64]
高倉天皇たかくらてんのう
(r. 1168–1180 AD)
Kaō
嘉よしみ応おう 		1169–1171 AD 3 years Book of Han
Jōan
承うけたまわ安やす 		1171–1175 AD 5 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Shōan.
Angen
安元やすもと 		1175–1177 AD 3 years Book of Han
Jishō
治ち承うけたまわ 		1177–1181 AD 5 years Hetu Tingzuofu (河かわ圖ず挺てい作さく輔) Also rendered as Jijō and Chishō. Usage continued by the Emperor Antoku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Antoku[65]
安徳天皇あんとくてんのう
(r. 1180–1185 AD)
Yōwa
養和ようわ 		1181–1182 AD 8 years Book of Later Han
Juei
寿ことぶき永ひさし 		1182–1185 AD 4 years Classic of Poetry Also used by the Emperor Go-Toba from 1183 AD to 1184 AD.
Emperor Go-Toba[66]
後鳥羽ごとば天皇てんのう
(r. 1183–1198 AD)
Juei
寿ことぶき永ひさし 		1183–1184 AD 2 years Classic of Poetry Also used by the Emperor Antoku from 1182 AD to 1185 AD.
Genryaku
元もと暦こよみ 		1184–1185 AD 2 years Shangshu Kaolingyao (尚書しょうしょ考こう靈れい耀)

Kamakura period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Go-Toba
後鳥羽ごとば天皇てんのう
(r. 1183–1198 CE)
Bunji
文治ぶんじ 		1185–1190 CE 6 years Book of Rites Also rendered as Monchi.
Kenkyū
建たて久ひさ 		1190–1199 CE 10 years Book of Jin Usage continued by the Emperor Tsuchimikado upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Tsuchimikado[67]
土御門天皇つちみかどてんのう
(r. 1198–1210 CE)
Shōji
正治しょうじ 		1199–1201 CE 3 years Zhuangzi Also rendered as Shōchi.
Kennin
建たて仁ひとし 		1201–1204 CE 4 years Selections of Refined Literature
Genkyū
元久もとひさ 		1204–1206 CE 3 years Correct Interpretation of the Mao Commentary (毛もう詩し正義まさよし)
Ken'ei
建たて永ひさし 		1206–1207 CE 2 years Selections of Refined Literature Also rendered as Ken'yō.
Jōgen
承うけたまわ元もと 		1207–1211 CE 5 years Comprehensive Institutions Also rendered as Shōgen. Usage continued by the Emperor Juntoku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Juntoku[68]
順徳天皇じゅんとくてんのう
(r. 1210–1221 CE)
Kenryaku
建けん暦れき 		1211–1213 CE 3 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Kenreki.
Kempo
建たて保たもつ 		1213–1219 CE 7 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Kenhō.
Jōkyū
承うけたまわ久ひさし 		1219–1222 CE 4 years Apocrypha of the Classic of Poetry (詩し緯ぬき) Also rendered as Shōkyū. Usage continued by the Emperor Chūkyō and the Emperor Go-Horikawa upon their ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Horikawa[69]
後こう堀河ほりかわ天皇てんのう
(r. 1221–1232 CE)
Jōō
貞さだ応おう 		1222–1224 CE 3 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Teiō.
Gennin
元げん仁ひとし 		1224–1225 CE 2 years Classic of Changes
Karoku
嘉よしみ禄ろく 		1225–1227 CE 3 years Records of Diverse Matters
Antei
安貞やすさだ 		1227–1229 CE 3 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Anjō.
Kangi
寛ひろし喜き 		1229–1232 CE 4 years Book of Wei Also rendered as Kanki.
Jōei
貞さだ永ひさし 		1232–1233 CE 2 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Teiei. Usage continued by the Emperor Shijō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Shijō[70]
四条しじょう天皇てんのう
(r. 1232–1242 CE)
Tenpuku
天福てんぷく 		1233–1234 CE 2 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Tenfuku.
Bunryaku
文ぶん暦れき 		1234–1235 CE 2 years Selections of Refined Literature Also rendered as Monryaku and Monreki.
Katei
嘉よしみ禎ただし 		1235–1238 CE 4 years Book of Northern Qi
Ryakunin
暦こよみ仁ひとし 		1238–1239 CE 2 years Book of Sui Also rendered as Rekinin.
En'ō
延のべ応おう 		1239–1240 CE 2 years Selections of Refined Literature Also rendered as Ennō.
Ninji
仁じん治ち 		1240–1243 CE 4 years New Book of Tang Also rendered as Ninchi. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Saga upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Saga[71]
後こう嵯峨天皇さがてんのう
(r. 1242–1246 CE)
Kangen
寛ひろし元もと 		1243–1247 CE 5 years Book of Song Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Fukakusa upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Fukakusa[72]
後深草天皇ごふかくさてんのう
(r. 1246–1260 CE)
Hōji
宝たから治おさむ 		1247–1249 CE 3 years Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals
Kenchō
建けん長ちょう 		1249–1256 CE 8 years Book of Later Han
Kōgen
康かん元はじめ 		1256–1257 CE 2 years
Shōka
正せい嘉よしみ 		1257–1259 CE 3 years Classified Collection Based on the Classics and Other Literature
Shōgen
正せい元もと 		1259–1260 CE 2 years Apocrypha of the Classic of Poetry (詩し緯ぬき) Usage continued by the Emperor Kameyama upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kameyama[73]
亀山天皇かめやまてんのう
(r. 1260–1274 CE)
Bun'ō
文ぶん応おう 		1260–1261 CE 2 years Book of Jin Also rendered as Bunnō.
Kōchō
弘ひろ長ちょう 		1261–1264 CE 4 years The Political Program of the Zhenguan Period (貞さだ觀かん政せい要よう)
Bun'ei
文ぶん永ひさし 		1264–1275 CE 12 years Book of Later Han Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Uda upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Uda[74]
後こう宇多天皇うだてんのう
(r. 1274–1287 CE)
Kenji
建治けんじ 		1275–1278 CE 4 years Rites of Zhou
Kōan
弘安ひろやす 		1278–1288 CE 11 years Veritable Records of the Emperor Taizong of Tang (唐から太ふとし宗そう實錄じつろく) Usage continued by the Emperor Fushimi upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Fushimi[75]
伏見天皇ふしみてんのう
(r. 1287–1298 CE)
Shōō
正せい応おう 		1288–1293 CE 6 years Notes on the Mao Commentary (毛もう詩し注ちゅう)
Einin
永えい仁ひとし 		1293–1299 CE 7 years Book of Jin Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Fushimi upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Fushimi[76]
後こう伏見天皇ふしみてんのう
(r. 1298–1301 CE)
Shōan
正安まさやす 		1299–1302 CE 4 years The School Sayings of Confucius Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Nijō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Nijō[77]
後こう二条天皇にじょうてんのう
(r. 1301–1308 CE)
Kengen
乾いぬい元はじめ 		1302–1303 CE 2 years Classic of Changes
Kagen
嘉よしみ元もと 		1303–1306 CE 4 years Classified Collection Based on the Classics and Other Literature
Tokuji
徳治とくじ 		1306–1308 CE 3 years The Commentary of Zuo Usage continued by the Emperor Hanazono upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Hanazono[78]
花園天皇はなぞのてんのう
(r. 1308–1318 CE)
Enkyō
延のべ慶けい 		1308–1311 CE 4 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Engyō and Enkei.
Ōchō
応おう長ちょう 		1311–1312 CE 2 years Old Book of Tang
Shōwa
正和しょうわ 		1312–1317 CE 6 years Old Book of Tang
Bunpō
文ぶん保ほ 		1317–1319 CE 3 years Book of Liang Also rendered as Bunhō. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Daigo upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Daigo[79]
後醍醐天皇ごだいごてんのう
(r. 1318–1339 CE)
Gen'ō
元もと応おう 		1319–1321 CE 3 years Old Book of Tang Also rendered as Gennō.
Genkō
元げん亨とおる 		1321–1324 CE 4 years Classic of Changes
Shōchū
正中せいちゅう 		1324–1326 CE 3 years Classic of Changes
Karyaku
嘉よしみ暦れき 		1326–1329 CE 4 years Old Book of Tang
Gentoku
元もと徳とく 		1329–1332 CE 4 years Classic of Changes,
Correct Interpretation of the Classic of Changes (周しゅう易えき正義まさよし)
Genkō
元弘もとひろ 		1331–1334 CE 4 years Classified Collection Based on the Classics and Other Literature

Nanboku-chō period[edit]

Southern Court[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Go-Daigo
後醍醐天皇ごだいごてんのう
(r. 1318–1339 CE)
Kenmu
建たて武たけし 		1334–1336 CE 3 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Kenbu. Also used by the Emperor Kōmyō from 1336 CE to 1338 CE.
Engen
延のべ元もと 		1336–1340 CE 5 years Book of Liang Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Murakami upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Murakami
後村上天皇ごむらかみてんのう
(r. 1339–1368 CE)
Kōkoku
興国こうこく 		1340–1347 CE 8 years The Commentary of Zuo,
Selections of Refined Literature,
New History of the Five Dynasties
Shōhei
正平しょうへい 		1347–1370 CE 24 years Book of Song Usage continued by the Emperor Chōkei upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Chōkei
長慶天皇ちょうけいてんのう
(r. 1368–1383 CE)
Kentoku
建徳けんとく 		1370–1372 CE 3 years Selections of Refined Literature
Bunchū
文中ぶんちゅう 		1372–1375 CE 4 years Classic of Changes
Tenju
天授てんじゅ 		1375–1381 CE 7 years Records of the Grand Historian
Kōwa
弘和ひろかず 		1381–1384 CE 4 years Book of Documents Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Kameyama upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Kameyama
後こう亀山天皇かめやまてんのう
(r. 1383–1392 CE)
Genchū
元もと中なか 		1384–1392 CE 9 years Classic of Changes Genchū 9 was superseded by Meitoku 3 in 1392 CE.

Northern Court[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Kōgon
光ひかり厳げん天皇てんのう
(r. 1331–1333 CE)
Shōkyō
正せい慶けい 		1332–1333 CE 2 years Correct Interpretation of the Classic of Changes (周しゅう易えき正義まさよし) Also rendered as Shōkyō.
Emperor Kōmyō
光明こうみょう天皇てんのう
(r. 1336–1348 CE)
Kenmu
建たて武たけし 		1336–1338 CE 3 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Kenbu. Also used by the Emperor Go-Daigo from 1334 CE to 1336 CE.
Ryakuō
暦こよみ応おう 		1338–1342 CE 5 years Records of Emperors and Kings (帝王ていおう世紀せいき) Also rendered as Rekiō.
Kōei
康かん永ひさし 		1342–1345 CE 4 years Book of Han
Jōwa
貞和さだかず 		1345–1350 CE 6 years Classified Collection Based on the Classics and Other Literature Also rendered as Teiwa. Usage continued by the Emperor Sukō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Sukō
崇たかし光こう天皇てんのう
(r. 1348–1351 CE)
Kannō
観かん応おう 		1350–1352 CE 3 years Zhuangzi Also rendered as Kan'ō. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Kōgon upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Kōgon
後光ごこう厳げん天皇てんのう
(r. 1352–1371 CE)
Bunna
文和ふみかず 		1352–1356 CE 5 years Records of the Three Kingdoms,
Old Book of Tang 		Also rendered as Bunwa.
Enbun
延のべ文ぶん 		1356–1361 CE 6 years Book of Han
Kōan
康かん安やすし 		1361–1362 CE 2 years Correct Interpretation of the Records of the Grand Historian (史記しき正義まさよし),
Old Book of Tang
Jōji
貞治さだはる 		1362–1368 CE 7 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Teiji.
Ōan
応おう安やす 		1368–1375 CE 8 years Correct Interpretation of the Mao Commentary (毛もう詩し正義まさよし) Usage continued by the Emperor Go-En'yū upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-En'yū
後こう円融天皇えんゆうてんのう
(r. 1371–1382 CE)
Eiwa
永和えいわ 		1375–1379 CE 5 years Book of Documents,
Classified Collection Based on the Classics and Other Literature
Kōryaku
康かん暦れき 		1379–1381 CE 3 years Old Book of Tang
Eitoku
永えい徳いさお 		1381–1384 CE 4 years The Governing Principles of Ancient China (羣書治ち要よう) Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Komatsu upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Komatsu
後こう小松こまつ天皇てんのう
(r. 1382–1412 CE)
Shitoku
至徳しとく 		1384–1387 CE 4 years Classic of Filial Piety Also rendered as Meitoku
Kakei
嘉よしみ慶けい 		1387–1389 CE 3 years Correct Interpretation of the Mao Commentary (毛もう詩し正義まさよし) Also rendered as Kakyō.
Kōō
康かん応おう 		1389–1390 CE 2 years Selections of Refined Literature
Meitoku
明徳めいとく 		1390–1394 CE 5 years Book of Rites Meitoku 3 superseded Genchū 9 in 1392 CE.

Muromachi period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Go-Komatsu
後こう小松こまつ天皇てんのう
(r. 1382–1412 CE)
Ōei
応おう永ひさし 		1394–1428 CE 35 years Institutional History of Tang Usage continued by the Emperor Shōkō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Shōkō[80]
称しょう光こう天皇てんのう
(r. 1412–1428 CE)
Shōchō
正せい長ちょう 		1428–1429 CE 2 years Correct Interpretation of the Book of Rites (禮れい記き正義まさよし) Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Hanazono upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Hanazono[81]
後こう花園天皇はなぞのてんのう
(r. 1428–1464 CE)
Eikyō
永えい享とおる 		1429–1441 CE 13 years Book of Later Han Also rendered as Eikō.
Kakitsu
嘉吉よしきち 		1441–1444 CE 4 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Kakichi.
Bun'an
文ぶん安やす 		1444–1449 CE 6 years Book of Documents,
Book of Jin 		Also rendered as Bunnan.
Hōtoku
宝たから徳いさお 		1449–1452 CE 4 years Old Book of Tang
Kyōtoku
享とおる徳とく 		1452–1455 CE 4 years Book of Documents
Kōshō
康正こうせい 		1455–1457 CE 3 years Book of Documents,
Records of the Grand Historian
Chōroku
長禄ちょうろく 		1457–1460 CE 4 years Han Feizi
Kanshō
寛ひろし正ただし 		1460–1466 CE 7 years The School Sayings of Confucius Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado[82]
後こう土御門天皇つちみかどてんのう
(r. 1464–1500 CE)
Bunshō
文正ふみまさ 		1466–1467 CE 2 years Xunzi Also rendered as Monshō.
Ōnin
応仁おうにん 		1467–1469 CE 3 years Weicheng Dianxun (維城典てん訓くん)
Bunmei
文明ぶんめい 		1469–1487 CE 19 years Classic of Changes
Chōkyō
長ちょう享とおる 		1487–1489 CE 3 years Selections of Refined Literature,
The Commentary of Zuo,
Book of Later Han
Entoku
延徳えんとく 		1489–1492 CE 4 years Mencius
Meiō
明あかり応おう 		1492–1501 CE 10 years Classic of Changes Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Kashiwabara upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Kashiwabara[83]
後こう柏原かしわばら天皇てんのう
(r. 1500–1526 CE)
Bunki
文ぶん亀かめ 		1501–1504 CE 4 years The Literary Expositor
Eishō
永えい正ただし 		1504–1521 CE 18 years Apocrypha of the Classic of Changes (周しゅう易えき緯ぬき)
Daiei
大だい永ひさし 		1521–1528 CE 8 years Comprehensive Institutions Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Nara upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Nara[84]
後こう奈良なら天皇てんのう
(r. 1526–1557 CE)
Kyōroku
享とおる禄ろく 		1528–1532 CE 5 years Classic of Changes
Tenbun
天文てんもん 		1532–1555 CE 24 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Tenmon.
Kōji
弘治こうじ 		1555–1558 CE 4 years Book of Northern Qi Usage continued by the Emperor Ōgimachi upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Ōgimachi[85]
正親町おおぎまち天皇てんのう
(r. 1557–1586 CE)
Eiroku
永えい禄ろく 		1558–1570 CE 13 years The Governing Principles of Ancient China (羣書治ち要よう) Also rendered as Yōroku.
Genki
元もと亀かめ 		1570–1573 CE 4 years Mao Commentary,
Selections of Refined Literature

Azuchi–Momoyama period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Ōgimachi
正親町おおぎまち天皇てんのう
(r. 1557–1586 CE)
Tenshō
天正てんしょう 		1573–1592 CE 20 years Selections of Refined Literature,
Book of the Way and of Virtue 		Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Yōzei upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Yōzei[86]
後こう陽成ようぜい天皇てんのう
(r. 1586–1611 CE)
Bunroku
文ぶん禄ろく 		1592–1596 CE 5 years Comprehensive Institutions
Keichō
慶長けいちょう 		1596–1615 CE 20 years Correct Interpretation of the Mao Commentary (毛もう詩し注疏ちゅうそ) Also rendered as Kyōchō. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Mizunoo upon his ascension to the throne.

Edo period[edit]

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Go-Mizunoo[87]
後水尾天皇ごみずのおてんのう
(r. 1611–1629 CE)
Genna
元和がんわ 		1615–1624 CE 10 years Era name of the Emperor Xianzong of Tang Also rendered as Genwa.
Kan'ei
寛永かんえい 		1624–1644 CE 21 years Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Poetry (詩集ししゅう傳でん) Usage continued by the Empress Meishō and the Emperor Go-Kōmyō upon their ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Kōmyō[88]
後こう光明こうみょう天皇てんのう
(r. 1643–1654 AD)
Shōhō
正保まさやす 		1645–1648 CE 4 years Book of Documents
Keian
慶安けいあん 		1648–1652 CE 5 years Classic of Changes Also rendered as Kyōan.
Jōō
承うけたまわ応おう 		1652–1655 CE 4 years Book of Jin Also rendered as Shōō. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Sai upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Sai[89]
後こう西にし天皇てんのう
(r. 1655–1663 AD)
Meireki
明あかり暦れき 		1655–1658 CE 4 years Book of Han,
Book of Later Han 		Also rendered as Myōryaku and Meiryaku.
Manji
万治まんじ 		1658–1661 CE 4 years Records of the Grand Historian,
The Political Program of the Zhenguan Period (貞さだ觀かん政せい要よう) 		Also rendered as Manchi.
Kanbun
寛文ひろふみ 		1661–1673 CE 13 years Xunzi Usage continued by the Emperor Reigen upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Reigen[90]
霊れい元もと天皇てんのう
(r. 1663–1687 AD)
Enpō
延のべ宝たから 		1673–1681 CE 9 years Book of Sui Also rendered as Enhō. Formerly written as "延のべ寳たから" in kanji.
Tenna
天和てんわ 		1681–1684 CE 4 years Book of Documents,
Book of Han,
Book of Later Han,
Zhuangzi 		Also rendered as Tenwa.
Jōkyō
貞享ていきょう 		1684–1688 CE 5 years Classic of Changes Usage continued by the Emperor Higashiyama upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Higashiyama[91]
東山ひがしやま天皇てんのう
(r. 1687–1709 AD)
Genroku
元禄げんろく 		1688–1704 CE 16 years Selections of Refined Literature
Hōei
宝永ほうえい 		1704–1711 CE 8 years Old Book of Tang Usage continued by the Emperor Nakamikado upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Nakamikado[92]
中御門天皇なかみかどてんのう
(r. 1709–1735 AD)
Shōtoku
正徳まさのり 		1711–1716 CE 6 years Book of Documents
Kyōhō
享とおる保ほ 		1716–1736 CE 21 years Book of Zhou Usage continued by the Emperor Sakuramachi upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Sakuramachi[93]
桜さくら町まち天皇てんのう
(r. 1735–1747 AD)
Genbun
元もと文ぶん 		1736–1741 CE 6 years Selections of Refined Literature
Kanpō
寛ひろし保ほ 		1741–1744 CE 4 years Discourses of the States Also rendered as Kanhō.
Enkyō
延のべ享とおる 		1744–1748 CE 5 years Classified Collection Based on the Classics and Other Literature Usage continued by the Emperor Momozono upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Momozono[94]
桃園ももぞの天皇てんのう
(r. 1747–1762 AD)
Kan'en
寛延かんえい 		1748–1751 CE 4 years Selections of Refined Literature
Hōreki
宝たから暦れき 		1751–1764 CE 14 years The Political Program of the Zhenguan Period (貞さだ觀かん政せい要よう) Also rendered as Hōryaku. Usage continued by the Empress Go-Sakuramachi upon her ascension to the throne.
Empress Go-Sakuramachi[95]
後こう桜さくら町まち天皇てんのう
(r. 1762–1771 AD)
Meiwa
明和めいわ 		1764–1772 CE 9 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Myōwa. Usage continued by the Emperor Go-Momozono upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Go-Momozono[96]
後こう桃園ももぞの天皇てんのう
(r. 1771–1779 AD)
An'ei
安永やすなが 		1772–1781 CE 10 years Selections of Refined Literature Usage continued by the Emperor Kōkaku upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kōkaku[97]
光ひかり格かく天皇てんのう
(r. 1780–1817 AD)
Tenmei
天明てんめい 		1781–1789 CE 9 years Book of Documents
Kansei
寛政かんせい 		1789–1801 CE 13 years The Commentary of Zuo
Kyōwa
享とおる和わ 		1801–1804 CE 4 years Selections of Refined Literature
Bunka
文化ぶんか 		1804–1818 CE 15 years Classic of Changes,
Book of Later Han 		Usage continued by the Emperor Ninkō upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Ninkō[98]
仁孝天皇にんこうてんのう
(r. 1817–1846 AD)
Bunsei
文政ぶんせい 		1818–1830 CE 13 years Book of Documents
Tenpō
天保てんぽう 		1830–1844 CE 15 years Book of Documents Also rendered as Tenhō.
Kōka
弘ひろし化か 		1844–1848 CE 5 years Book of Documents Usage continued by the Emperor Kōmei upon his ascension to the throne.
Emperor Kōmei
孝明天皇こうめいてんのう
(r. 1846–1867 AD)
Kaei
嘉よしみ永ひさし 		1848–1854 CE 7 years Book of Song
Ansei
安政あんせい 		1854–1860 CE 7 years The Governing Principles of Ancient China (羣書治ち要よう)
Man'en
万延まんえん 		1860–1861 CE 2 years Book of Later Han
Bunkyū
文久ぶんきゅう 		1861–1864 CE 4 years Book of Later Han
Genji
元治もとはる 		1864–1865 CE 2 years Classic of Changes,
Records of the Three Kingdoms
Keiō
慶応けいおう 		1865–1868 CE 4 years Selections of Refined Literature Usage continued by the Emperor Meiji upon his ascension to the throne.

Modern Japan[edit]

The "one reign, one era name" (一世一元いっせいいちげん) system was implemented in 1868 AD.

Era name Period of use Length of use Derived from Remark
Emperor Meiji
明治天皇めいじてんのう
(r. 1867–1912 AD)
Meiji
明治めいじ 		1868–1912 AD 45 years Classic of Changes In 1873 Japan adopted the Seireki (西暦せいれき), the Common Era. Nowadays, Japanese people know it as well as the regnal eras. Prior to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the reference calendar was based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar.
Emperor Taishō
大正天皇たいしょうてんのう
(r. 1912–1926 AD)
Taishō
大正たいしょう 		1912–1926 AD 15 years Classic of Changes Rejected proposals were Tenkō (天てん興きょう), Kōka (興きょう化か), Eian (永安えいあん), Kentoku (乾いぬい徳いさお), Shōtoku (昭徳あきのり).
Emperor Shōwa
昭和しょうわ天皇てんのう
(r. 1926–1989 AD)
Shōwa
昭和しょうわ 		1926–1989 AD 64 years Book of Documents Rejected proposals were Jinka (神化しんか), Genka (元もと化か), Jinwa (神かみ和かず), Dōwa (同和どうわ), Keimei (繼ままし明あきら), Junmei (順じゅん明あきら), Meiho (明あかり保ほ), Kan'an (寛ひろし安やす), Gen'an (元もと安やす), Ryūsei (立たて成なり), Teigyō (定じょう業ぎょう), Kōbun (光ひかり文ぶん), Shōmei (章あきら明あきら), Kyōchū (協きょう中ちゅう).
Akihito
明仁あきひと
(r. 1989–2019 AD)
Heisei
平成へいせい 		1989–2019 AD 31 years Records of the Grand Historian,
Book of Documents 		Rejected proposals were Shūbun (修おさむ文ぶん), Seika (正せい化か).
Naruhito
徳とく仁ひとし
(r. 2019 AD–present)
Reiwa
令れい和わ 		2019 AD–present 4 years, 356 days Man'yōshū First Japanese era name extracted from Japanese literature instead of Chinese literature.[99][100][101][102] Rejected proposals were Eikō (英弘ひでひろ), Kyūka (久ひさ化か), Kōshi (also rendered as Kōji; 広こう至いたり), Banna (also rendered as Banwa; 万まん和わ), Banpo (also rendered as Banhō; 万まん保ほ).

Non-nengō periods[edit]

Unofficial non-nengō periods (shinengō) before 701 are called itsunengō (逸いっ年号ねんごう). Pre-Taika chronology intervals include:

  • Reign of Emperor Jimmu, 660–581 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Suizei, 581–548 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Annei, 548–510 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Itoku, 510–475 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Kōshō, 475–392 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Kōan, 392–290 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Kōrei, 290–214 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Kōgen, 214–157 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Kaika, 157–97 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Sujin, 97–29 BC
  • Reign of Emperor Suinin, 29 BC–AD 71
  • Reign of Emperor Keikō, AD 71–131
  • Reign of Emperor Seimu, 131–192
  • Reign of Emperor Chūai, 192–201
  • Regency of Empress Jingū, 201–270
  • Reign of Emperor Ōjin, 270–313
  • Reign of Emperor Nintoku, 313–400
  • Reign of Emperor Richū, 400–406
  • Reign of Emperor Hanzei, 406–412
  • Reign of Emperor Ingyō, 412–454
  • Reign of Emperor Ankō, 454–457
  • Reign of Emperor Yūryaku, 457–480
  • Reign of Emperor Seinei, 480–485
  • Reign of Emperor Kenzō, 485–488
  • Reign of Emperor Ninken, 488–499
  • Reign of Emperor Buretsu, 499–507
  • Reign of Emperor Keitai, 507–534
  • Reign of Emperor Ankan, 534–536
  • Reign of Emperor Senka, 536–540
  • Reign of Emperor Kinmei, 540–572
  • Reign of Emperor Bidatsu, 572–586
  • Reign of Emperor Yōmei, 586–588
  • Reign of Emperor Sushun, 588–593
  • Reign of Emperor Suiko, 593–629[b]
  • Reign of Emperor Jomei, 629–645

Post-Taika chronology intervals not covered by the nengō system include:

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ A list of shinengō and more information can be seen in the Japanese language entry on 私わたし年ねん号ごう.
  2. ^ The National Diet Library (NDL) website explains that "Japan organized its first calendar in the 12th year of Suiko (604)", which was a pre-nengō time frame.Nussbaum (2005)[103][104]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Lü, Zongli (2003). Power of the words: Chen prophecy in Chinese politics, AD 265-618. ISBN 9783906769561.
  2. ^ a b Sogner, Sølvi (2001). Making Sense of Global History: The 19th International Congress of the Historical Sciences, Oslo 2000, Commemorative Volume. ISBN 9788215001067.
  3. ^ Jølstad, Anders; Lunde, Marianne (2000). "International Congress of Historical Sciences". International Congress of Historical Sciences. 19. ISBN 9788299561419. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Ancient tradition carries forward with Japan's new era". Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Reiwa Nengō Announcement Footage, 1 April 2019
  6. ^ "Japan rings in new era as Naruhito becomes emperor". Al Jazeera. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  7. ^ Rich, Motoko (30 April 2019). "Emperor Akihito, Who Gave Japan's Monarchy a Human Face, Abdicates Throne". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  8. ^ "天皇陛下てんのうへいか 「生前せいぜん退位たいい」の意向いこう示しめされる ("His Majesty The Emperor Indicates His Intention to 'Abdicate'")" (in Japanese). NHK. 13 July 2016. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Japanese Emperor Akihito 'wishes to abdicate'". BBC News. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  10. ^ a b Brown & Ishida (1979), p. 32.
  11. ^ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1956). Kyoto: the Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869, p. 321.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Murray (1894) p. 402, citing Bramsen (1880) pp. 54–55.The year-periods (nengō) do not ordinarily overlap with the reigns of the early monarchs; and generally, a new one was chosen whenever it was deemed necessary to commemorate an auspicious or ward off a malign event.
  13. ^ "The Japanese Calendar", National Diet Library, Japan
  14. ^ "年号ねんごう一覧いちらん" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 19 October 2007.
  15. ^ "JapaneseDate (Java Platform SE 8 )". Archived from the original on 15 May 2015.
  16. ^ "The Japanese Calendar's Y2K Moment".
  17. ^ "JDK 11 Release Notes, Important Changes, and Information". www.oracle.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018. Japanese calendars, both in java.time.chrono and java.util packages support the upcoming Japanese new era, which will be in effect from May 1st, 2019. While the name of the era was yet to be known, placeholder names ("元号げんごう" for Japanese, "NewEra" for other languages) are provided for its display names. The placeholder names will be replaced with the legitimate era name, Reiwa, in a future update, thus applications should not depend on those placeholder names.
  18. ^ Kishida, Naoki (14 July 2018). "Java 11 API Change Proposals". DZone Java. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  19. ^ Request to reserve the code point for square Japanese new era name (PDF), 19 December 2017
  20. ^ The Japan National Body (23 May 2018), Update on SC2 N4577 "Request to reserve the code point for square Japanese new era name" (PDF)
  21. ^ "RESOLUTION M 23-10", Resolutions of the 23rd ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 2 Plenary Meeting, 28 June 2018
  22. ^ Future Additions to ISO/IEC 10646 (January 2018) (PDF), 25 January 2018
  23. ^ "Proposed New Characters: Pipeline Table". Unicode Consortium. 30 June 2018.
  24. ^ Whistler, Ken (16 July 2018), Unicode 12.1 Planning Considerations
  25. ^ Tsuchihashi (1952), p. 16.
  26. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 266–267; Varley (1980) pp. 132–133; Titsingh (1834) pp. 47–50
  27. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 268–269; Varley (1980), pp. 135–136; Titsingh (1834) pp. 58–59
  28. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 270–271; Varley (1980), pp. 137–140; Titsingh (1834) pp. 60–63
  29. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) p. 271; Varley (1980), p. 140; Titsingh (1834) pp. 63–65
  30. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 271–272; Varley (1980), pp. 140–141; Titsingh (1834) pp. 65–67
  31. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 272–273; Varley (1980), pp. 141–143; Titsingh (1834) pp. 67–73
  32. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 274–275; Varley (1980), p. 143; Titsingh (1834) pp. 73–75
  33. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) p. 276; Varley (1980), pp. 144–147; Titsingh (1834) pp. 78–81
  34. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 276–277; Varley (1980), pp. 147–148; Titsingh (1834) pp. 81–85
  35. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 277–279; Varley (1980), pp. 148–150; Titsingh (1834) pp. 86–95
  36. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 279–280; Varley (1980), p. 151; Titsingh (1834) pp. 96–97
  37. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 280–282; Varley (1980), pp. 151–164; Titsingh (1834) pp. 97–102
  38. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 282–283; Varley (1980), p. 164; Titsingh (1834) pp. 103–106
  39. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 283–284; Varley (1980), pp. 164–165; Titsingh (1834) pp. 106–112
  40. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 285–286; Varley (1980), p. 165; Titsingh (1834) pp. 112–115
  41. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 286–288; Varley (1980), pp. 166–170; Titsingh (1834) pp. 115–121
  42. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 288–289; Varley (1980), pp. 170–171; Titsingh (1834) pp. 121–124
  43. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) p. 289; Varley (1980), pp. 171–175; Titsingh (1834) pp. 124–125
  44. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 289–290; Varley (1980), pp. 175–179; Titsingh (1834) pp. 125–129
  45. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 290–293; Varley (1980), pp. 179–181; Titsingh (1834) pp. 129–134
  46. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 294–295; Varley (1980), pp. 181–183; Titsingh (1834) pp. 134–138
  47. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 295–298; Varley (1980), pp. 183–190; Titsingh (1834) pp. 139–142
  48. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) p. 298; Varley (1980), pp. 190–191; Titsingh (1834) pp. 142–143
  49. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 299–300; Varley (1980), pp. 191–192; Titsingh (1834) pp. 144–148
  50. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 300–302; Varley (1980), p. 192; Titsingh (1834) pp. 148–149
  51. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 302–307; Varley (1980), pp. 192–195; Titsingh (1834) pp. 150–154
  52. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) p. 307; Varley (1980), p. 195; Titsingh (1834) pp. 154–155
  53. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 307–310; Varley (1980), pp. 195–196; Titsingh (1834) pp. 156–160
  54. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 310–311; Varley (1980), p. 197; Titsingh (1834) pp. 160–162
  55. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 311–314; Varley (1980), pp. 197–198; Titsingh (1834) pp. 162–166
  56. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 314–315; Varley (1980), pp. 198–199; Titsingh (1834) pp. 166–168
  57. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 315–317; Varley (1980), pp. 199–202; Titsingh (1834) pp. 169–171
  58. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 317–320; Varley (1980), p. 202; Titsingh (1834) pp. 172–178
  59. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 320–322; Varley (1980), pp. 203–204; Titsingh (1834) pp. 178–181
  60. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 322–324; Varley (1980), pp. 204–205; Titsingh (1834) pp. 181–185
  61. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 324–326; Varley (1980), p. 205; Titsingh (1834) pp. 186–188
  62. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 326–327; Varley (1980), pp. 205–208; Titsingh (1834) pp. 188–190188–190.
  63. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 327–329; Varley (1980), pp. 208–212; Titsingh (1834) pp. 191–194
  64. ^ a b Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 329–330; Varley (1980), p. 212; Titsingh (1834) pp. 194–195
  65. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 333–334; Varley (1980), pp. 214–215; Titsingh (1834) pp. 20–207
  66. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 334–339; Varley (1980), pp. 215–220; Titsingh (1834) pp. 207–221
  67. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 339–341; Varley (1980), p. 220; Titsingh (1834) pp. 221–230
  68. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 341–343; Varley (1980), pp. 221–223; Titsingh (1834) pp. 230–238
  69. ^ Brown & Ishida (1979) pp. 344–349; Varley (1980), pp. 226–227; Titsingh (1834) pp. 238–241
  70. ^ Varley (1980), p. 227; Titsingh (1834) pp. 242–245
  71. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 228–231; Titsingh (1834) pp. 245–247
  72. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 231–232; Titsingh (1834) pp. 248–253
  73. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 232–233; Titsingh (1834) pp. 253–261
  74. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 233–237; Titsingh (1834) pp. 262–269
  75. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 237–238; Titsingh (1834) pp. 269–274
  76. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 238–239; Titsingh (1834) pp. 274–275
  77. ^ Varley (1980), p. 239; Titsingh (1834) pp. 275–278
  78. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 239–241; Titsingh (1834) pp. 278–281
  79. ^ Varley (1980), pp. 241–269; Titsingh (1834) pp. 281–286, 290–294
  80. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 327–331
  81. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 331–351
  82. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 352–364
  83. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 364–372
  84. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 372–382
  85. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 382–402
  86. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 402–409
  87. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 410–411
  88. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 412–413
  89. ^ Titsingh (1834) p. 413
  90. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 414–415
  91. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 415–416
  92. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 416–417
  93. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 417–418
  94. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 418–419
  95. ^ Titsingh (1834) p. 419
  96. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 419–420
  97. ^ Titsingh (1834) pp. 420–421
  98. ^ Titsingh (1834) p. 421
  99. ^ McCurry, Justin. "Reiwa: how Japan's new era name is breaking tradition".
  100. ^ Sim, Walter. "Sign of the times: Japan picks Reiwa to succeed Heisei as new imperial era from May 1".
  101. ^ Osaki, Tomohiro. "Reiwa: Japan reveals name of new era ahead of Emperor's abdication".
  102. ^ "新しん元号げんごうは「令れい和わ」（れいわ） 万葉集まんようしゅう典拠てんきょ、国書こくしょ由来ゆらいは初はつ". Asahi News Digital (in Japanese). 1 April 2019. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  103. ^ "The Japanese Calendar".
  104. ^ "Jikkan Jūnishi" p. 420.
  105. ^ NengoCalc (655) 斉ひとし明あきら Saimei
  106. ^ NengoCalc (622) 天智てんじ Tenji
  107. ^ NengoCalc (672) 弘文こうぶん Kōbun
  108. ^ NengoCalc (673) 弘文こうぶん Tenmu
  109. ^ Compare Nussbaum (2005) "Hakuhō" p. 280; "Hakuhou jidai". JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System). 2001. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  110. ^ NengoCalc (687) 持もち統みつる Jitō
  111. ^ NengoCalc (697) 文武ぶんぶ Monmu

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_era_name&oldid=1217589976"