Eikan

Eikan (永観) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. "year name") after Tengen and before Kanna. This period spanned the years from April 983 through April 985.^[1] The reigning emperors were En'yū-tennō (円融天皇) and Kazan-tennō (花山天皇).^[2]

Change of era

February 16, 983 Eikan gannen (永観元年)]: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Tengen 6, on the 15th day of the 4th month of 983.^[3]

Events of the Eikan era

October 6, 983 (Eikan 1, 27th day of the 8th month): In the 15th year of Emperor En'yu's reign (円融天皇15年), he abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by a nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kazan is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).^[4]
September/October 983 (Eikan 1, 8th month): Chōnen, the Buddhist monk of the Tendai school embarked on a voyage to China accompanied by 5 or 6 disciples.^[5]

Notes

^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Eikan" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 171, p. 171, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
^ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 144–148; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979).. Gukanshō, p. 299–300; Varely, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 191–192.
^ Brown, p. 300.
^ Titsingh, p. 148; Brown, pp. 300; 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 Emperor Go-Murakami.
^ Iwao, Seiichi et al. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon, Vol. 1, p. 304., p. 304, at Google Books

References

Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Gukanshō: The Future and the Past. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03460-0; OCLC 251325323
Iwao, Seiichi. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon (Vol. I), (Vol. II) (with Teizō Iyanaga, Susumu Ishii, Shōichirō Yoshida et al.). Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. ISBN 978-2-7068-1632-1; OCLC 51096469
Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; 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. ISBN 9780231049405; OCLC 6042764

External links

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

Preceded by Tengen	Era or nengō Eikan 983–985	Succeeded by Kanna

[1] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Eikan" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 171, p. 171, at Google Books; 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. 144–148; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979).. Gukanshō, p. 299–300; Varely, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 191–192.

[3] Brown, p. 300.

[4] Titsingh, p. 148; Brown, pp. 300; 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 Emperor Go-Murakami.

[5] Iwao, Seiichi et al. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon, Vol. 1, p. 304., p. 304, at Google Books

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