- Tenshō (Momoyama period)
. [Titsingh, I. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du Japon," pp. 383-405.]
Change of era
*;
1573 : The new era name was created to mark a number of regional wars. The era name was inspired by a passage from a Chinese classic,Lao Zi : :"Those who are at peace with nature bring all under Heaven into its correct pattern" (清静者為天下正). The era name "Tenshō" was suggested byOda Nobunaga . The previous era ended and a new one commenced in "Genki" 4, the 28th day of the 7th month.Events of the "Tenshō" era
* "Tenshō 1" (
1573 ):Ashikaga Yoshiaki lost his position as shogun. He shaved his head, becoming a Buddhist priest. Initially, he took the priestly name Sho-san; but he eventually came to be known as Rei-o In. [Titsingh, p. 389.]
* "Tenshō 2", in the 1st month (1574 ): Sectarian rebellion inEchizen Province .
* "Tenshō 2", in the 9th month: Suppression of sectarian rebellion inNagashima .
* "Tenshō 3", in the 5th month (1575 ):Takeda Katsuyori led an army intoTotomi province where he lay siege toNagashino castle . The Tokugawa defended the castle; and Tokugawa Ieayasu sought assistance from Oda Nobunaga. In response, Nobunaga and his son Nobutada arrived at Nagashino with a large force. In the ensuringBattle of Nagashino , the Takeda attackers were forced to retreaat. [Titsingh, p. 391.]
* "Tenshō 7", in the 5th month (1579 ): Azuchi Sect Debates atAzuchi Castle .
* "Tenshō 7", in the 6th month (1579 ):Akechi Mitsuhide makes himself master ofTamba province .Titsingh, p. 394.]
* "Tenshō 8", in the 11th month (1580 ): Kaga sectarian rebellion suppressed. [see above] ]
* "Tenshō 10", in the 3rd month (1582 ):Battle of Tenmokuyama . [Titsingh, p. 395.]
* "Tenshō 10", in the 6th month:Incident at Honnō-ji , [Titsingh, p. 396.]Battle of Yamazaki , [Titsingh, p. 397.]Council of Kiyosu .
* "Tenshō 10" (1582 ): An Japanese mission or embassy to Europe, headed byMancio Ito withAlessandro Valignano , was attempted in 1582–1590. Although less well-known and less well-documented thanHasekura Tsunenaga 's diplomatic mission to the Vatican (also called the "Keichō " Embassy") in 1613-1620, [In the name "Keichō" Embassy," the noun "Keichō" refers to the "nengō " (Japanese era name ) after "Bunroku " and before "Genna "." In other words, the "Keichō" Embassy commenced during "Keichō", which was a time period spanning the years from1596 through1615 .] this historic diplomatic initiative remains a noteworthy accomplishment. The mission is sometimes referred to as the "Tenshō" Embassy" because it was initiated in the "Tenshō" era. This venture was organized by three "daimyo " of Western Japan --Omura Sumitada ,Otomo Sorin andArima Harunobu . [Ministry of Foreign Affairs: [http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/mexico/index.html Japan-Mexico Relations".] ]
* "Tenshō 11", in the 4th month:Battle of Shizugatake . [Titsingh, p. 398.]
* "Tenshō 12", in the 4th month:Battle of Komaki and Nagakute . [Titsingh, p. 399.]
* "Tenshō 13", in the 7th month:Toyotomi Hideyoshi is given the position of "kampaku " by Ōgimachi. [Titsingh, p. 401.]
* "Tensho 14", on the 7th day of the 11th month (1586 ): Ogimachi gave over the reigns of government to his grandson, who would become Emperor Go-Yozei. There had been no such Imperial sinceEmperor Go-Hanazono abdicated in "Kanshō" 5. The dearth of abdications is attributable to the disturbed state of the country and to the fact that there was neither any dwelling in which an ex-emperor could live nor any excess funds in the treasury to support him. [Titsingh, p. 402; Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). "Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869," pp. 340-341.]
* "Tensho 14", in the 12th month (1586 ): A marriage is arranged between the youngest sister of Hideyoshi andTokugawa Ieyasu .Titsingh, p. 402.]
* "Tensho 14", in the 12th month (1586 ): The "kampaku", Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was nominated to be "Daijō-daijin". [see above] ]
* "Tenshō 16", in the 7th month: Emperor Go-Yōzei visits Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mansion,Sword Hunt decree
* "Tenshō 18", in the 7th month (1590 ): Hideyoshi led an army to the Kantō where he lay siege toOdawara Castle . When the fortress fell,Hōjō Ujimasa died and his brother,Hōjō Ujinao submitted to Hideyoshi's power, thus ending a period of serial internal warfare which had continued uninterrupted since the nengō "Onin" (1467 ). [Titsingh, p. 405.]In popular culture
The fictional plot of the classic
Akira Kurosawa film "Seven Samurai " takes place in the 15th year of Tenshō.Notes
References
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). "Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869." Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō , 1652] , "Nipon o daï itsi ran ; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth." Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ... Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)]External links
* National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" [http://www.ndl.go.jp/koyomi/e/ -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection]
Tenshō 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th Gregorian 1573 1574 1575 1576 1577 1578 1579 1580 1581 1582 1583 1584 1585 1586 1587 1588 1589 1590 1591 1592 Preceded by:
"Genki "Era or "nengō":
TenshōSucceeded by:
"Bunroku "
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.