Kyōwa Explained

was a after Kansei and before Bunka. This period spanned the years from February 1801 through February 1804.^[1] The reigning emperor was .

Change of era

• February 5, 1801 : a new era name was created because of the belief that the 58th year of every cycle of the Chinese zodiac brings great changes. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Kansei 13.

The new era name was drawn from an hortatory aphorism: "Follow Heaven and take your destiny, unite all people and perfect your righteousness" (順乎天而享其運、応乎人而和其義).

Events of the Kyōwa era

• December 9, 1802 (Kyōwa 2, 15th day of the 11th month): Earthquake in northwest Honshū and Sado Island (Latitude: 37.700/Longitude: 138.300), 6.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale.^[2]
• December 28, 1802 (Kyōwa 2, 4th day of the 12th month): Earthquake on Sado Island (Latitude: 38.000/Longitude: 138.000).^[2]

References

• Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 48943301

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). "Kyōwa" ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File .
2. http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov NOAA/Japan "Significant Earthquake Database"