Eitoku Explained

was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōryaku and before Shitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1381^[1] to February 1384.^[2] The emperors in Kyoto were and ^[3] The Southern Court rivals in Yoshino during this time-frame were and .

Nanboku-chō overview

During the Meiji period, 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.^[4]

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 widespread recognition that the Imperial Regalia were not in their possession.^[4]

This illegitimate had been established in Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji.^[4]

Change of era

• 1381, 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 Kōryaku 3.

In this time frame, Kōwa (Muromachi period) (1381–1384) was the Southern Court equivalent nengō.^[5]

Events of the Eitoku era

• 1381 (Eitoku 1, 3rd month): The emperor travels in procession to see Ashikaga Yoshimitsu at his palacial home in Muromachi.^[5]
• 1381 (Eitoku 1, 7th month): the kampaku Nijō Yoshimoto is elevated to the position of daijō daijin. Yoshimitsu is raised to the Imperial court position of nadaijin at the young age of 24. Yoshimoto and Yoshimitsu work well in harmony together.^[5]
• 1382 (Eitoku 2, 1st month): Yoshimitsu is raised to the court position of sadaijin, and several days later, he was named General of the Left (sadaisho). In this same period, Fujiwara no Sanetoki is elevated from the position of dainagon to nadaijin.^[5]
• 1383 (Eitoku 3): Emperor Go-Kameyama ascends southern throne.^[6]

References

• Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
• Mehl, Margaret. (1997). History and the State in Nineteenth-Century Japan. New York: St Martin's Press. ; OCLC 419870136
• Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 48943301
• Thomas, Julia Adeney. (2001). Reconfiguring Modernity: Concepts of Nature in Japanese Political Ideology. Berkeley: University of California Press. ;
• 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

External links

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

Notes and References

1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Eitoku" in Japan encyclopedia, p. 173; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
2. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Shitoku" in Japan encyclopedia, p. 875; n.b., Nussbaum identifies Eitoku's end in March 1383 and Shitoku's beginning a year later in March 1384.
3. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 310-327.
4. Thomas, Julia Adeney. (2001). Reconfiguring modernity: concepts of nature in Japanese political ideology, p. 199 n57, citing Mehl, Margaret. (1997). History and the State in Nineteenth-Century Japan. p. 140-147.
5. Titsingh, p. 316.
6. Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) Lessons from History: The "Tokushi Yoron", p. 329.