Tenju
Encyclopedia
Tenju was a Japanese era name
(年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Southern Court
during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts
after Bunchū
and before Kōwa. This period spanned the years from May 1375 to February 1381. The Southern Court
emperor in Yoshino during this time-frame was . The Northern court
emperor in Kyoto 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
.
In this time frame, Eiwa
(1375–1379) and Kōryaku
(1379–1381) were 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 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 Bunchū
Bunchu
Bunchū was a Japanese era name of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kentoku and before Tenju. This period spanned the years from October 1372 to May 1375. The Southern Court emperor in Yoshino during this time-frame was...
and before Kōwa. This period spanned the years from May 1375 to February 1381. 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:...
emperor in Yoshino during this time-frame was . 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...
emperor in Kyoto 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...
.
Change of era
- 1375, 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 Bunchū 4.
In this time frame, Eiwa
Eiwa
was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Ōan and before Kōryaku. This period spanned the years from February 1375 through March 1379...
(1375–1379) and Kōryaku
Koryaku
was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Eiwa and before Eitoku. This period spanned the years from March 1379 through February 1381...
(1379–1381) were the Southern Court equivalent nengō.
Events of the Tenju Era
- 1375 (Tenju 1): 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....
visits the Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū where he worships publicly; and he offers a sword for the shrine's treasury, gold foil for the embellishment of the shrine, and a racehorses for the shrine's stable. - 1375 (Tenju 2): For the first time, Shogun Yoshimitsu is permitted to enter the precincts of the Imperial quarters at the Imperial palace in Kyoto.
- 1377 (Tenju 2): Goryeo diplomatic envoy Jeong Mongju met with the in Kyūshū, Imagawa Ryōshun. The objective of this diplomatic mission was to begin neogiating steps to control pirates (wakō).
- 1378 (Tenju 4): Yoshimitsu moves into his new home in Muromachi; and the luxurious house and grounds are called Hana-no-Gosho
- 1379 (Tenju 5): Shiba Yoshimasa becomes 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....
. - 1380 (Tenju 6): 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...
rejoins KameyamaEmperor Go-Kameyamawas the 99th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He ruled from 1383 to October 21, 1392, becoming the last Emperor of the Southern Court...
; southern army suffers reverses. - July 26, 1380 (Tenju 6, 24th day of the 6th month): The 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:...
died at age 60.