Hakuchi (era)

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

Hakuchi (白雉) was a Japanese era name (年号,, nengō,, lit. "year name") after the Taika era and before Shuchō. This period spanned the years from February 650 through December 654.^[1] The reigning emperor was Kōtoku-tennō (孝徳天皇).^[2]

History

In 650, also known as Hakuchi gannen (白雉元年), the era began in the sixth year of the Taika era.^[3] The daimyo of Nagato province brought a white pheasant to the court as a gift for the emperor. This white pheasant was then construed as a good omen. Emperor Kōtoku was extraordinarily pleased by this special avian rarity, and he wanted the entire court to see this white bird for themselves. He commanded a special audience in which he could formally invite the sadaijin and the udaijin to join him in admiring the rare bird; and on this occasion, the emperor caused the nengō to be changed to Hakuchi (meaning "white pheasant").^[4]

In Japan, this was the second nengō,^[1] derived from the Chinese system of eras (nianhao);^[5] although some scholarly doubt has been cast on the authenticity of Taika and Hakuchi as historically legitimate era names.^[6]

Timeline

Timelines of early Japanese nengō and Imperial reign dates

The system of Japanese era names was not the same as Imperial reign dates.

Events of the Hakuchi era

650 (Hakuchi 1): Kōtoku commanded that all prisoners were to be granted liberty throughout the country.^[4]
654 (Hakuchi 5, 1st month): A great number of rats moved into the province of Yamato; and this was construed as a sign that the capital should be moved.^[3]
654 (Hakuchi 5): Kōtoku died at the age of 59 after a reign of 10 years—five years during Taika, and five years during Hakuchi.^[7]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hakuchi" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 280, p. 280, 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. 47-50., p. 47, at Google Books
^ ^a ^b Brown, Delmer et al.. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 267.
^ ^a ^b Titsingh, p. 49.
^ Nussbaum, "Taika" at p. 924, p. 9247, at Google Books
^ Bialock, David T. (2007). Eccentric Spaces, Hidden Histories: Narrative, Ritual, and Royal Authority from the Chronicles of Japan to the Tale of the Heike, pp. 56-57, p. 56, at Google Books; excerpt at p. 57, "Whether the era name of Taika and Hakuchi are viewed as evidence of an actual precedent set by Kōtoku or as the work of chroniclers belonging to a later reign around the time of Nihon Shoki 's editing, the practice of assigning era names inaugurated a new phase in the consolidation of the court's expanding political power."
^ Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 133; Titsingh, p. 50.

References

Bialock, David T. (2007). Eccentric Spaces, Hidden Histories: Narrative, Ritual, and Royal Authority from the Chronicles of Japan to the Tale of the Heike. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 13-ISBN 9780804751582/10-ISBN 0804751587; OCLC 237216457
Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Gukanshō: The Future and the Past. Berkeley: University of California Press. 10-ISBN 0-520-03460-0; 13-ISBN 978-0-520-03460-0; OCLC 251325323
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 58053128
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
Varley, H. Paul. (1980). A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa. New York: Columbia University Press. 10-ISBN 0231049404/13-ISBN 9780231049405; OCLC 6042764

External links

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

Hakuchi	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
Gregorian	650	651	652	653	654

Preceded by:
Taika

Era or nengō:
Hakuchi

Succeeded by:
——

Preceded by:
——

Imperial reign dates:
Kōtoku period
645—654

Succeeded by:
Saimei period
655—661

[nussbaum280-1] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hakuchi" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 280, p. 280, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.

[t47-50-2] Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 47-50., p. 47, at Google Books

[b267-3] Brown, Delmer et al.. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 267.

[t49-4] Titsingh, p. 49.

[5] Nussbaum, "Taika" at p. 924, p. 9247, at Google Books

[6] Bialock, David T. (2007). Eccentric Spaces, Hidden Histories: Narrative, Ritual, and Royal Authority from the Chronicles of Japan to the Tale of the Heike, pp. 56-57, p. 56, at Google Books; excerpt at p. 57, "Whether the era name of Taika and Hakuchi are viewed as evidence of an actual precedent set by Kōtoku or as the work of chroniclers belonging to a later reign around the time of Nihon Shoki 's editing, the practice of assigning era names inaugurated a new phase in the consolidation of the court's expanding political power."

[7] Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 133; Titsingh, p. 50.

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