was a after the Taika

Taika (era)

was a during the reign of Kōtoku. The Taika era immediately preceded the Hakuchi era. This period spanned the years from August 645 through February 650.-Change of era:...

 era and before Shuchō

Shucho

, alternatively read as Suchō or Akamitori, was a after a gap following Hakuchi and before another gap lasting until Taihō . This Shuchō period briefly spanned a period of mere months, June through September of 686...

. This period spanned the years from February 650 through December 654. The reigning emperor was .

Change of era

• 650 : The Hakuchi era began in the sixth year of the Taika
  Taika (era)
  was a during the reign of Kōtoku. The Taika era immediately preceded the Hakuchi era. This period spanned the years from August 645 through February 650.-Change of era:...
  
  era. The daimyo
  Daimyo
  is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
  
  of Nagato province
  Nagato Province
  , often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces....
  
   brought a white pheasant to the court as a gift for the emperor. This white pheasant was then construed as a good omen. Emperor Kōtoku was extraordinarily pleased by this special avian rarity, and he wanted the entire court to see this white bird for themselves. He commanded a special audience in which he could formally invite the sadaijin
  Sadaijin
  , 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...
  
  and the udaijin
  Udaijin
  Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", 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 Udaijin in the context of a central...
  
  to join him in admiring the rare bird; and on this occasion, the emperor caused the nengō to be changed to Hakuchi (meaning "white pheasant").

In Japan, this was the second nengō, derived from the Chinese system of eras

Chinese era name

A Chinese era name is the regnal year, reign period, or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperor's reign and naming certain Chinese rulers . Some emperors have several era names, one after another, where each beginning of a new era resets the numbering of the year back...

 (nianhao); although some scholarly doubt has been cast on the authenticity of Taika and Hakuchi as historically legitimate era names.

Events of the Hakuchi era

• 650 (Hakuchi 1): Kōtoku commanded that all prisoners were to be granted liberty throughout the country.
• 654 (Hakuchi 5, 1st month): A great number of rats moved into the province of Yamato
  Yamato Province
  was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
  
  ; and this was construed as a sign that the capital should be moved.
• 654 (Hakuchi 5): Kōtoku died at the age of 59 after a reign of 10 years—five years during Taika, and five years during Hakuchi.

External links

• National Diet Library
  National Diet Library
  The 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

Hakuchi	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
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...	650	651	652	653	654

645–654