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Kōan (弘安) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. "year name") after Kenji and before Shōō. This period spanned the years from February 1278 through April 1288.[1] The reigning emperors were Go-Uda-tennō (後宇多天皇) and Fushimi-tennō (伏見天皇).[2]
Change of era
[edit]- 1278 Kōan gannen (弘安元年): The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Kenji 4.
Events of the Kōan era
[edit]- August 15, 1281 (Kōan 4, 7th day of the intercalary 7th month): Battle of Kōan -- The second Mongol invasion of Japan is foiled, as a large typhoon – famously called a kamikaze, or divine wind – destroys much of the combined Chinese and Korean fleet and forces, numbering over 140,000 men and 4,000 ships.
- November 27, 1287 (Kōan 10, 21st day of the 10th month): In the 14th year of Go-Uda-tennō's reign (後宇多天皇14年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his cousin. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Fushimi is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).[3]
See also
[edit]- Mongol invasions of Japan
- Battle of Bun'ei - the first invasion attempt by Kublai Khan, in 1274.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kōan" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 535, p. 535, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File Archived 2012-05-24 at archive.today.
- ^ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, pp. 262-268; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. pp. 233-237.
- ^ Titsingh, p. 269; Varley, 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 Emperor Go-Murakami.
References
[edit]- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
- 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
- Varley, H. Paul. (1980). A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-04940-5; OCLC 6042764
External links
[edit]- National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection