Shitoku
Encyclopedia
Shitoku was a Japanese era name
(年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Northern Court
during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts
after Eitoku
and before Kakei
. This period spanned the years from February 1384 to August 1387. The emperor in Kyoto was The Southern Court
rival in Yoshino during this time-frame was .
, 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
.
Southern Court Equivalents: Genchū
In this time frame, Genchū
(1384–1393) was the Southern Court equivalent nengō.
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 Northern Court
Northern Court (Japan)
The , also known as the "Ashikaga Pretenders" or "Northern Pretenders", were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392...
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 Eitoku
Eitoku
was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōryaku and before Shitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1381 to February 1384...
and before Kakei
Kakei
Kakei was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shitoku and before Kōō. This period spanned the years from August 1387 to February 1389...
. This period spanned the years from February 1384 to August 1387. The emperor in Kyoto was 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:...
rival in Yoshino during this time-frame was .
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...
.
Southern Court Equivalents: Genchū
Genchu
Genchū was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts lasting from April 1384 to October 1392. Reigning Emperors were Go-Kameyama in the south and Go-Komatsu in the north.-Nanboku-chō overview:...
Change of era
- 1384, also called : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in Eitoku 4.
In this time frame, Genchū
Genchu
Genchū was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts lasting from April 1384 to October 1392. Reigning Emperors were Go-Kameyama in the south and Go-Komatsu in the north.-Nanboku-chō overview:...
(1384–1393) was the Southern Court equivalent nengō.
Events of the Shitoku era
- 1384 (Shitoku 1, 3rd month): Shogun Ashikaga YoshimitsuAshikaga Yoshimitsuwas the 3rd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who ruled from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was the son of the second shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira....
gave up his court position as General of the Left (sadaish). - 1385 (Shitoku 2, 8th month): Yoshimistu made a public visit to Kasuga-taisha.
- 1385 (Shitoku 2): Southern army defeated at KogaKoga-People:* Koga is a Japanese kuge family name* Harue Koga was a Japanese painter active in the Taishō period* Hiroyasu Koga, Yukio Mishima's kaishakunin* Masao Koga, was a Japanese composer, guitarist and pop musician...
. - 1386 (Shitoku 3, 7th month): Yoshimitsu authorized the Five Mountain SystemFive Mountain SystemThe system, more commonly called simply Five Mountain System, was a network of state-sponsored Zen Buddhist temples created in China during the Southern Song Dynasty . The term "mountain" in this context means "temple" or "monastery", and was adopted because many monasteries were built on isolated...
for ranking state-sponsored Buddhist temples; and Nanzen-jiNanzen-ji, or Zuiryusan Nanzen-ji, formerly , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his previous detached palace. It is also the headquarters of the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen...
was ranked at the top and in a class of its own. - 1387-89: Dissension is growing in Toki family of MinoMino Province, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....
.
External links
- National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection
| Shitoku | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| 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... |
1384 | 1385 | 1386 | 1387 |