Shohei
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese era name
(年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Southern Court
during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts
after Kōkoku
and before Kentoku
. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Court
emperors in Yoshino were and . The emperors in Kyoto were , and in the north.
, an Imperial decree dated March 3, 1911 established that the legitimate reigning monarchs of this period were the direct descendants of Emperor Go-Daigo
through Emperor Go-Murakami
, whose had been established in exile in Yoshino, near Nara.
Until the end of the Edo period
, the militarily superior pretender-Emperors supported by the Ashikaga shogunate
had been mistakenly incorporated in Imperial chronologies despite the undisputed fact that the Imperial Regalia
were not in their possession.
This illegitimate had been established in Kyoto
by Ashikaga Takauji
.
Japanese era name
The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era...
(年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Southern Court
Southern Court
The were a set of four emperors whose legitimate claims were usurped during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392. In spite of the legitimacy of its claims to the throne, the Southern Court was permanently replaced in 1392 by the illegitimate Northern Court.-Nanboku-chō overview:...
during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts
Nanboku-cho
The , spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Muromachi bakufu of Japan's history.During this period, there existed a Northern Imperial Court, established by Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and a Southern Imperial Court, established by Emperor Go-Daigo in...
after Kōkoku
Kokoku
Kōkoku was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Engen and before Shōhei, lasting from April 1340 to December 1346. The emperor in Kyoto was...
and before Kentoku
Kentoku
Kentoku was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shōhei and before Bunchū, lasting from July 1370 to April 1372...
. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Court
Southern Court
The were a set of four emperors whose legitimate claims were usurped during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392. In spite of the legitimacy of its claims to the throne, the Southern Court was permanently replaced in 1392 by the illegitimate Northern Court.-Nanboku-chō overview:...
emperors in Yoshino were and . The emperors in Kyoto were , and in the north.
Nanboku-chō overview
During the Meiji periodMeiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, an Imperial decree dated March 3, 1911 established that the legitimate reigning monarchs of this period were the direct descendants of Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
through Emperor Go-Murakami
Emperor Go-Murakami
was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339 until March 29, 1368 . His personal name was...
, whose had been established in exile in Yoshino, near Nara.
Until the end of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, the militarily superior pretender-Emperors supported by the Ashikaga shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
had been mistakenly incorporated in Imperial chronologies despite the undisputed fact that the Imperial Regalia
Imperial Regalia of Japan
The , also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, consist of the sword Kusanagi , the mirror Yata no Kagami , and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama...
were not in their possession.
This illegitimate had been established in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
by Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
.
Events of the Shohei Era
- 1346 (Shōhei 1): The kampaku Takatsukasa MorohiraTakatsukasa Morohira, son of Fuyuhira, was kugyo or highest-ranking Japanese court noble of the Muromachi period . Fuyunori adopted him as a son.Morohira held the office of kampaku from 1342 to 1346....
was relieved of his duties; and he was replaced by Nijō YoshimotoNijo Yoshimoto, son of regent Nijō Michihira, was a Japanese kugyō , waka poet and renga master of the early Muromachi period .Yoshimoto's wife gave birth to Nijō Moroyoshi...
. - 1347 (Shōhei 2): Nijō Yoshimoto was demoted from his high office as Kampaku; and he was instead given the title and responsibilities of sadaijinSadaijin, most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Sadaijin in the context of a central...
. - 1349 (Shōhei 4): Go-MurakamiEmperor Go-Murakamiwas the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339 until March 29, 1368 . His personal name was...
flees to A'no; Ashikaga TadayoshiAshikaga Tadayoshiwas a general of the Northern and Southern Courts period of Japanese history and a close associate of his elder brother Takauji, the first Muromachi shogun. Son of Ashikaga Sadauji and of a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige, the same mother as Takauji, he was a pivotal figure of the chaotic transition...
and Kō no MoronaoKo no Moronaowas a Japanese samurai of the Nanboku-chō period who was the first to hold the position of Shitsuji . He was appointed by Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. As Deputy, he served not only an administrative governmental function, but also as general of the Shogun's armies...
quarrel; Ashikaga MotoujiAshikaga Motouji-See also:* Kamakura, Kanagawa - The Muromachi and Edo periods* The article Nanboku-chō period...
, son of Takauji, appointed Kamakura KanreiKanreior, more rarely, kanryō, was a high political post in feudal Japan; it is usually translated as Shogun's Deputy. After 1349, there were actually two Kanrei, the Kyoto Kanrei and the Kantō Kanrei.... - 1350 (Shōhei 5): Yoshinori guarded Kyoto.
- 1350 (Shōhei 5): Tadayoshi, excluded from administration, turns priest; Tadayoshi's adopted son, Ashikaga Tadafuyu is wrongly repudiated as a rebel.
- 1351 (Shōhei 6): Tadayoshi joins Southern Court, southern army takes Kyoto; truce, Takauji returns to Kyoto; Tadayoshi and Takauji reconciled; Kō no Moronao and Kō no MoroyasuKo no Moroyasu, along with his brother Moronao and his cousin Morofuyu, was one of the leading generals of Shogun Ashikaga Takauji during the Nanbokucho War.In 1335 he was sent west from Kamakura, the capital, at the head of a large army. The goal was to secure the shogun's control over the region, and prepare...
are exiled. - 1350–1352 ((Shōhei 5–Shōhei 7): Armed conflict, variously known as the or Kannō no juran, developed from antagonism between Shogun Ashikaga TakaujiAshikaga Takaujiwas the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
and his brother, Ashikaga TadayoshiAshikaga Tadayoshiwas a general of the Northern and Southern Courts period of Japanese history and a close associate of his elder brother Takauji, the first Muromachi shogun. Son of Ashikaga Sadauji and of a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige, the same mother as Takauji, he was a pivotal figure of the chaotic transition...
. Disagreement about the influence of Kō no MoronaoKo no Moronaowas a Japanese samurai of the Nanboku-chō period who was the first to hold the position of Shitsuji . He was appointed by Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. As Deputy, he served not only an administrative governmental function, but also as general of the Shogun's armies...
diminished after death of Moronao. Tadayoshi was ordered to relocate to Kamakura. The brothers eventually reconciled before Tadayoshi's death in 1352. - 1352 (Shōhei 7): The grandfather of the emperor is advanced from the rank of dainagonDainagonwas a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century....
to nadaijin. - 1353 (Shōhei 8): Kyoto occupied by southern forces under Yamana Tokiuji; and the capital was retaken by the Ashikaga.
- 1354 (Shōhei 9): Takauji flees with Go-KōgonEmperor Go-KogonEmperor Go-Kōgon was the 4th of the Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts...
; Kitabatake ChikafusaKitabatake Chikafusawas a Japanese court noble and writer of the 14th century who supported the Southern Court in the Nanboku-cho period, serving as advisor to five Emperors. Some of his greatest and most famous work was performed during the reign of Emperor Go-Daigo, under whom he proposed a series of reforms,...
dies. - 1355 (Shōhei 10): Kyoto taken by southern army; Kyoto retaken again by the Ashikaga forces.
- 1356 (Shōhei 11): Minamoto no Michisuke was advanced from the court rank of dainagonDainagonwas a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century....
to nadaijin. - 1356 Shōhei 11): Ashikaga YoshinoriAshikaga Yoshinoriwas the 6th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1429 to 1441 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshinori was the son of the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.-Shogunal succession:...
is raised to the second rank of the third class in the court hierarchy. - 1357 (Shōhei 12): Emperor Go-Murakami, who had captured former-Emperor KōgonEmperor KōgonEmperor Kōgon was the 1st of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan...
, former-Emperor KōmyōEmperor Komyowas the 2nd of the Ashikaga Pretenders, although he was actually the first to be supported by the Ashikaga Bakufu. According to pre-Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1336 through 1348.-Genealogy:...
and former-Emperor SukōEmperor Suko) was the third of Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. According to pre-Meiji scholars, his reign spanned the years from 1348 through 1351.-Genealogy:...
in 1352, released all three of them and permitted their return from Yoshino to Kyoto. - 1358 (Shōhei 13): Death of Ashikaga TakaujiAshikaga Takaujiwas the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
; Ashikaga YoshiakiraAshikaga Yoshiakirawas the 2nd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1358 to 1367 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshiakira was the son of the founder and first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji....
appointed shogun; dissention and defections in shogunate. - 1361 (Shōhei 16): Snowfall was unusually heavy; and there was also a disastrous fire in Kyoto as well as a violent earthquake.
- 1361 (Shōhei 16): Eigen-jiEigen-jiis one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, founded in 1361 by the lord of Ōmi province—Sasaki Ujiyori. The temple is located in modern day Higashiōmi, Shiga prefecture of Japan, and its first Abbot was the famous poet and roshi Jakushitsu Genko...
, a ZenZenZen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
Buddhist temple located in modern day Shiga prefectureShiga Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
, was founded Sasaki Ujiyori; and its first Abbot was Jakushitsu GenkoJakushitsu Genkowas a Japanese Rinzai master, poet, flute player, and first abbot of Eigen-ji . His poetry is considered to be among the finest of Zen poetry. He traveled to China and studied Ch'an with masters of the Linji school from 1320 to 1326, then returned to Japan and lived for many years as a hermit...
. - 1362 (Shōhei 17): Hosokawa Kiyouji and Kusunoki MasanoriKusunoki Masanoriwas a samurai who fought for the Southern Court in Japan's Nanboku-chō Wars, and is famed for his skills as a leader and military strategist, though he later sought a diplomatic solution and was regarded a traitor by many of his comrades...
attack Kyoto, Ashikaga YoshiakiraAshikaga Yoshiakirawas the 2nd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1358 to 1367 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshiakira was the son of the founder and first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji....
flees, but regains the capital in twenty days.
Northern Court Equivalents
- Jōwa
- Kan'ō
- BunnaBunna, also romanized as Bunwa, was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kannō and before Enbun. This period spanned the years from September 1352 through March 1356. The emperor in Kyoto was...
- Embun
- Kōan
- JōjiJojiwas a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōan and before Ōan. This period spanned the years from September 1362 through February 1368. The emperor in Kyoto was...
- ŌanOan, also romanized as Ō-an, was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Jōji and before Eiwa. This period spanned the years from February 1368 through February 1375...
External links
- National Diet LibraryNational Diet LibraryThe is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the U.S...
, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection
| Shōhei | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th |
| Gregorian Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter... |
1346 | 1347 | 1348 | 1349 | 1350 | 1351 | 1352 | 1353 | 1354 | 1355 | 1356 | 1357 | 1358 | 1359 | 1360 | 1361 | 1362 | 1363 | 1364 | 1365 | 1366 | 1367 | 1368 | 1369 | 1370 |