Tenpō

964–968	Kōhō
968–970	Anna
970–973	Tenroku
973–976	Ten'en
976–978	Jōgen
978–983	Tengen
983–985	Eikan
985–987	Kanna
987–988	Eien
988–990	Eiso
990–995	Shōryaku
995–999	Chōtoku
999–1004	Chōhō
1004–1012	Kankō
1012–1017	Chōwa
1017–1021	Kannin
1021–1024	Jian
1024–1028	Manju
1028–1037	Chōgen
1037–1040	Chōryaku

806–810	Daidō
810–824	Kōnin
824–834	Tenchō
834–848	Jōwa
848–851	Kashō
851–854	Ninju
854–857	Saikō
857–859	Ten'an
859–877	Jōgan
877–885	Gangyō
885–889	Ninna
889–898	Kanpyō
898–901	Shōtai
901–923	Engi
923–931	Enchō
931–938	Jōhei
938–947	Tengyō
947–957	Tenryaku
957–961	Tentoku
961–964	Ōwa

645–650	Taika
650–654	Hakuchi
686–686	Shuchō
701–704	Taihō
704–708	Keiun
708–715	Wadō
Nara
715–717	Reiki
717–724	Yōrō
724–729	Jinki
729–749	Tenpyō
749	Tenpyō-kanpō
749–757	Tenpyō-shōhō
757–765	Tenpyō-hōji
765–767	Tenpyō-jingo
767–770	Jingo-keiun
770–781	Hōki
781–782	Ten'ō
782–806	Enryaku

Tenpō (天保) was a Japanese era name (年号,, nengō,, lit. "year name"), also known as Tempō, after Bunsei and before Kōka. The period spanned the years from December 1830 through December 1844.^[1] The reigning emperor was Ninko-tennō (仁孝天皇).

Change of era

December 10, 1830 (Tenpō gannen (天保元年)) : In the 13th year of Bunsei, the new era name of Tenpō (meaning "Heavenly Imperial Protection") was created to mark the disasters of a great fire in Edo and an earthquake at Kyoto. The new era name was created from an hortatory aphorism: "Respect and worship the Ways of heaven. Eternally keep the Mandate of Heaven" (欽崇天道、永保天命).

Events of the Tenpō era

1834 (Tenpō 5): Kondō Isami born in Tama.
July 20, 1835 (Tenpō 6, 7th day of the 6th month): Earthquake in Sanriku (Latitude: 37.900/Longitude: 141.900), 7.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale.^[2]
- Hijikata Toshizō born, May 5.
1836 (Tenpō 7): Matsudaira Katamori born in Edo.
1837 (Tenpō 7): Tokugawa Ieyoshi becomes the 12th shogun of the bakufu government.^[3]
1837 (Tenpō 8): Uprisings, including rebellions led by Ōshio Heihachirō and Ikuta Yorozu
1837 (Tenpō 8): Morrison Incident — American ship repelled by cannon fire from Japanese shores; also, Tokugawa Yoshinobu born.
April 25, 1843 (Tenpō 14, 25th day of the 3rd month): Earthquake in Yezo, Kushiro, Nemuro (Latitude: 41.800/Longitude: 144.800), 8.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale.^[2]
1844 (Tenpō 15): Disasters, including the Great Tenpō Famine, the Tenpō Insurrection in Chōshū and the Tenpō Fire in Edo Castle; also, Saitō Hajime born in Edo.

Calendar revision

During the Tenpō era, Koide Shuki translated portions of Jérôme Lalande's work on astronomy. Koide presented this work to the Astronomy Board as evidence of the superiority of the European calendar, but the effort produced no identifiable effect.^[4] However, Koide's work and translations of other Western writers did indirectly affect the Tenpo calendar revision in 1842-1844. A great many errors had been found in the lunar calendar; and a revised system was publicly adopted in 1844. The new calendar was called the Tenpō-Jinin calendar. It was in use in Japan until 1872 when the Gregorian calendar was adopted.^[5]

Gallery

Branched ("Edasen" 枝銭) Mon coins of the Tenpō period.
Japanese drawing of the Morrison, anchored in front of Uraga in 1837.

Notes

^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tempō" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 957, p. 957, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
^ ^a ^b "Significant Earthquake Database", U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
^ Hall, John Whitney et al. (1991). Early Modern Japan, p. 21.
^ Smith, David. (1914). A History of Japanese Mathematics, pp. 267. , p. 267, at Google Books
^ Hayashi, Tsuruichi. (1907). "A Brief history of the Japanese Mathematics", Nieuw archief voor wiskunde ("New Archive of Mathematics"), p. 126., p. 126, at Google Books

References

Hall, John Whitney and Marius Jansen. (1991). Early Modern Japan: The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10-ISBN 0-521-22355-5; 13-ISBN 978-0-521-22355-3; OCLC 62064695
Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301
Smith, David E. and Yoshio Mikami. (1914). A History of Japanese Mathematics. Chicago: Open Court Publishing. OCLC 1515528 – note alternate online, full-text copy at archive.org
Wiskundig Genootschap (Mathematical Society). (1907). Nieuw archief voor wiskunde (New Archive of Mathematics). Amsterdam, Swets & Zeitlinger. OCLC 5814818

External links

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

Tenpō	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th
Gregorian	1830	1831	1832	1833	1834	1835	1836	1837	1838	1839	1840	1841	1842	1843	1844

Preceded by:
Bunsei

Era or nengō:
Tenpō

Succeeded by:
Kōka

[1] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tempō" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 957, p. 957, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.

[NOAA-2] "Significant Earthquake Database", U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)

[hall21-3] Hall, John Whitney et al. (1991). Early Modern Japan, p. 21.

[4] Smith, David. (1914). A History of Japanese Mathematics, pp. 267. , p. 267, at Google Books

[5] Hayashi, Tsuruichi. (1907). "A Brief history of the Japanese Mathematics", Nieuw archief voor wiskunde ("New Archive of Mathematics"), p. 126., p. 126, at Google Books

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