Kan'ei

964–968	Kōhō
968–970	Anna
970–973	Tenroku
973–976	Ten'en
976–978	Jōgen
978–983	Tengen
983–985	Eikan
985–987	Kanna
987–988	Eien
988–990	Eiso
990–995	Shōryaku
995–999	Chōtoku
999–1004	Chōhō
1004–1012	Kankō
1012–1017	Chōwa
1017–1021	Kannin
1021–1024	Jian
1024–1028	Manju
1028–1037	Chōgen
1037–1040	Chōryaku

806–810	Daidō
810–824	Kōnin
824–834	Tenchō
834–848	Jōwa
848–851	Kashō
851–854	Ninju
854–857	Saikō
857–859	Ten'an
859–877	Jōgan
877–885	Gangyō
885–889	Ninna
889–898	Kanpyō
898–901	Shōtai
901–923	Engi
923–931	Enchō
931–938	Jōhei
938–947	Tengyō
947–957	Tenryaku
957–961	Tentoku
961–964	Ōwa

645–650	Taika
650–654	Hakuchi
686–686	Shuchō
701–704	Taihō
704–708	Keiun
708–715	Wadō
Nara
715–717	Reiki
717–724	Yōrō
724–729	Jinki
729–749	Tenpyō
749	Tenpyō-kanpō
749–757	Tenpyō-shōhō
757–765	Tenpyō-hōji
765–767	Tenpyō-jingo
767–770	Jingo-keiun
770–781	Hōki
781–782	Ten'ō
782–806	Enryaku

Kan'ei (寛永) was a Japanese era name (年号,, nengō,, lit. "year name") after Genna and before Shōhō. This period spanned the years from February 1624 through December 1643.^[1] The reigning emperors and empress were Go-Mizunoo-tennō (後水尾天皇), Meishō-tennō (明正天皇) and Go-Kōmyō-tennō (後光明天皇).^[2]

Change of era

1624 Kan'ei gannen (寛永元年): The era name was changed to mark the start of a new cycle of the Chinese zodiac. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Genna 9, on the 30th day of the 2nd month. This era name is derived from 寛広、永長 (meaning "Broad Leniency, Eternal Leader").

Events of the Kan'ei era

1629 (Kan'ei 1): Construction on the Hōei-zan temple began.^[2]
November 4, 1626 (Kan'ei 3, 16th day of the 9th month): Emperor Go-Mizunoo and the empress visited to Nijō Castle; and they were accompanied by Princes of the Blood, palace ladies and kuge. Among the precedents for this was the Tenshō era visit of Emperor Go-Yōozei to Hideyoshi's extravagant Heian-kyo mansion, Juraku-dai (which Hideyoshi himself would tear down in the 12th month of Bunroku 2).^[3]
1627 (Kan'ei 6): The "Purple Clothes Incident" (紫衣事件,, shi-e jiken)—the Emperor was accused of having bestowed honorific purple garments to more than ten priests despite the shogun's edict which banned them for two years (probably in order to break the bond between the Emperor and religious circles). The shogunate intervened making the bestowing of the garments invalid.
December 22, 1629 ( Kan'ei 6, 8th day of the 11th month): The emperor renounced the throne in favor of his daughter, Kyōshi^[2]
March 14, 1632 (Kan'ei 9, 24th day of the 1st month): Former Shogun Hidetada died.^[2]
February 28, 1633 (Kan'ei 10, 20th day of the 1st month): There was an earthquake in Odawara in the Sagami.^[2]
1634 (Kan'ei 11, 7th month): Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu appeared at Court in Miyako; and he visited ex-emperor Go-Mizunoo.^[4]
1635 (Kan'ei 12): An ambassador from the King of Korea was received in Heian-kyō.^[2]
1637 (Kan'ei 14): There was a major Christian rebellion in Arima and Shimabara; shogunal forces are sent to quell the disturbance.^[2]
1638 (Kan'ei 15): The Christian revolt was crushed; and 37,000 of the rebels are killed. The Christian religion is extirpated in Japan.^[2]
1640 (Kan'ei 17): A Spanish ship from Macao brought a delegation of 61 people to Nagasaki. They arrived on July 6, 1640; and on August 9, all of them were decapitated and their heads were stuck on poles.^[2]
1643 (Kan'ei 20): An ambassador from the king of Korea arrivesd in Heian-kyō.^[5]
November 10, 1643 (Kan'ei 20, 29th day of the 9th month): In the 15th year of Empress Meishō's reign (明正天皇15年), the empress abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by her brother.^[6]
December 15, 1643 (Kan'ei 20, 5th day of the 11th month): Emperor Go-Komyō is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).^[6]

Notes

^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kan'ei" in Japan encyclopedia, p. 468; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, p. 411.
^ Ponsonby-Fane, p. 317.
^ Titsingh, p. 411; Ponsonby-Fane, p. 317; compare with April 22, 1863 (Bunkyu 3, 5th day of the 3rd month): Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi came to the capital and had an audience. This was the first time since the visit of Iemitsu in Kan'ei 11, 230 years before, that a shogun had visited Heian-kyō. In Bunkyo 3, Iemochi was summoned by the Emperor Komei; and when he traveled from Edo to the capital, the shogun had 3,000 retainers as escort. (Ponsonby-Fane, p. 325.)
^ Titsingh, p. 412.
^ ^a ^b Titsingh, p. 412; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Go-Murakami.

References

Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-01753-6, ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5. OCLC 48943301.
Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon (1956). Kyoto: the Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 182637732.
Screech, Timon (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779–1822. London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0203099850, ISBN 9780203099858. OCLC 65177072.
Titsingh, Isaac (1834). Nihon Odai Ichiran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC 5850691.

External links

National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection
Bank of Japan: Kan'ei Tsuho, Bunsen (copper coin = one mon)

Preceded by Genna	Era or nengō Kan'ei 1624–1644	Succeeded by Shōhō

[1] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kan'ei" in Japan encyclopedia, p. 468; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.

[t411-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, p. 411.

[3] Ponsonby-Fane, p. 317.

[4] Titsingh, p. 411; Ponsonby-Fane, p. 317; compare with April 22, 1863 (Bunkyu 3, 5th day of the 3rd month): Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi came to the capital and had an audience. This was the first time since the visit of Iemitsu in Kan'ei 11, 230 years before, that a shogun had visited Heian-kyō. In Bunkyo 3, Iemochi was summoned by the Emperor Komei; and when he traveled from Edo to the capital, the shogun had 3,000 retainers as escort. (Ponsonby-Fane, p. 325.)

[t412-5] Titsingh, p. 412.

[t412v44-6] Titsingh, p. 412; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Go-Murakami.

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