Kashō

nihongo|Kashō|嘉祥|, also known as Kajō, was a nihongo|Japanese era name|年号,|"nengō",|lit. "year name" after "Jōwa" and before "Ninju." This period spanned the years from 848 through 851. The reigning emperors were nihongo|Ninmyō"-tennō"|仁明天皇 and nihongo|Montoku"-tennō"|文徳天皇. [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du Japon," pp. 106-112; Brown, Delmer "et al." (1979). "Gukanshō," pp.283-284; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). "Jinnō Shōtōki," p. 164-165.]

Change of era

*; 848: The new era name "Kashō" (meaning "good augury") was created because a white tortoise was discovered in Bungo province, and it was duly presented to the emperor. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in "Jōwa" 15, on the 13th day of the 6th month of 848. [Brown, p. 284; Titsingh, p. 111.]

Events of the "Kashō" era

* "Kashō 1", on the 10th of the 1st month (848): The "dainagon" Fujiwara Yoshifusa 904-872) was named "udaijin." He was the son of the former "sadaijin" Fujiwara Fuyutsugu (775-826). Yoshifusa's daughter, Fujiwara no Akira-keiko, became Emperor Montoku's wife and the mother of Emperor Seiwa. [Titsingh, p. 111; Brown, p. 284.]
* "Kashō 1", in the 6th month (848): A white tortoise was discovered in Bungo province. As this was an extraordinary thing, all the court officials made their appearances before the emperor with comments about the good augury this tortoise represented.Titisngh, p. 111.]
* "Kashō 2", in the 4th month (849): An ambassador from Baekje was received at court. [see above] ]
* "Kashō 2", in the 5th month (849): The ambassador from Baekje was received by the emperor, who entertained him. Emperor Tenmyō charged Ono no Takamura to prepare a letter which was to be presented at the Baekje court. [see above] ]
* "Kashō 2", in the 10th month (849): Nimmyo celebrated his 40th birthday, and many presents were offered to him. [see above] ]
* "Kashō 2", in the 11th month (849): The emperor toured the capital in a grand procession; and when he passed by the prison, he ordered Yoshifusa to give freedom to all the prisoners held there. Ninmyo caused rice and monies to be distributed amongst the poor. [see above] ]
* "Kashō 3", on the 21st day of the 3rd month 850): Emperor Ninmyō died; and his eldest son received the succession (‘‘senso’’). [Brown, p. 284.] Shortly thereafter, Emperor Montoku formally acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). [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 Go-Murakami.] ]
* "Kashō 3", in the 1st month (850): The emperor made an official visit (chōkin) to the residence of his mother as a way of demonstrating filial piety. [Titingh, p. 111; Varley, p. 165.]
* "Kashō 3", on the 21st day of the 3rd month (850): The emperor fell ill and died at age 41. According to his wishes, he was entombed without pomp or ceremony. After this, the emperor was sometimes referred to as "the Emperor of Fukakasa," which was the name given to his mausoleum. Emperor Ninmyo had reigned 17 years -- 14 years in the Jōwa era, and 3 years in the Kashō era. [Titsingh, p. 112, Brown, p. 284.]
* "Kashō 3", in the 5th mongh (850): The widow of Emperor Saga, who was also the mother of Emperor Ninmyō and the grandmother of Emperor Montoku, died. This very devout Buddhist had founded a temple called Nihongo|Danrin-ji|檀林寺 on the site of present-day Nihongo|Tenryū-ji|天龍寺 -- more formally known as Nihongo|Tenryū Shiseizen-ji|天龍資聖禅寺, located in what is now Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō Ward in Kyoto, Before her death, the former empress had been known by the honorific title, nihongo|Danrin-kōgō |檀林皇后; and she had been honored as if she were a saint. [Titsingh, p. 112.]

References

* Brown, Delmer and Ichiro Ishida, eds. (1979). [ Jien, c. 1220)] , "Gukanshō; "The Future and the Past: a translation and study of the 'Gukanshō,' an interpretive history of Japan written in 1219" translated from the Japanese and edited by Delmer M. Brown & Ichirō Ishida." Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03460-0
* Titsingh, Isaac. (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)]
* Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). [ Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359] , "Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley)." New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-321-04940-4

External links

* National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" [http://www.ndl.go.jp/koyomi/e/ -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection]