Bunpō Explained

Bunpō
Location:	Japan
Start:	February 1317
End:	April 1319
Before:	Shōwa
After:	Gen'ō

was a after Shōwa and before Gen'ō. This period spanned the years from February 1317 to April 1319.^[1] The reigning Emperors were and .^[2]

Change of era

1317 ( Japanese: 文保元年): The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in Shōwa 6. The name was taken from the Book of Liang (AD 635) and means "elegant protection."

Events of the Bunpō era

During this era, Negotiations between the Bakufu and the two lines resulted in an agreement to alternate the throne between the two lines every 10 years (the Bunpō Agreement). This agreement did not last very long, being broken by Emperor Go-Daigo.

1317 (Bunpō 1, 9th month): Former-Emperor Fushimi died at age 53 years.^[3]
1318 (Bunpō 2, 2nd month): In the 11th year of Hanazono-tennōs reign (花園天皇11年), the emperor abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by his cousin, the second son of former-Emperor Go-Uda. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Daigo is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).^[4]
1319 (Bunpō 3, 4th month): Emperor Go-Daigo caused the nengō to be changed to Gen'ō to mark the beginning of his reign.^[5]

References

Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 58053128
Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Nihon Ōdai 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. ; OCLC 6042764

External links

National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection

Notes and References

Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Bumpō" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, pp. 278–281; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. pp. 243–244.
Titsingh, p. 281.
Titsingh, p. 281; Varley, p. 44; n.b, 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.
Varley, p. 243.