Jōwa (Muromachi period) explained

was a Japanese era or nengō which was promulgated by the more militarily powerful of two Imperial rival courts during the . This nengō came after Kōei and before Kannō and lasted from October 1345 through February 1350.^[1] The emperor in Kyoto was .^[2] Go-Kōgon's Southern Court rival in Yoshino during this time-frame was .

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.^[3]

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 the undisputed fact that the Imperial Regalia were not in their possession.^[3]

This illegitimate had been established in Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji.^[3]

Change of era

• 1345, 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 Kōei 2.

In this time frame, Kōkoku (1340-1346) and Shōhei (1346-1370) were Southern Court equivalent nengō.

Events of the Jōwa era

• 1346 (Jōwa 2, 2nd month): The kampaku Takatsukasa Morohira was relieved of his duties; and he was replaced by Nijō Yoshimoto.^[4]
• 1347 (Jōwa 3, 9th month): Nijō Yoshimoto was demoted from his high office as Kampaku; and he was instead given the title and responsibilities of sadaijin.^[4]
• 1349 (Jōwa 5):— Go-Murakami flees to A'no; Ashikaga Tadayoshi and Kō no Moronao quarrel; Ashikaga Motouji, son of Takauji, appointed Kamakura Kanrei^[5]

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 Ōdai 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. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, pp. 278-279; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. pp. 294-298; Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric et al. (2005). "Jōwa" in Japan encyclopedia, p. 434; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
2. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 294-299; Nussbaum, p. 541.
3. 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. pp. 140–147.
4. Titsingh, p. 297.
5. Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) Lessons from History: the Tokushi Yoron, p.329.