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Bunsei

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Bunsei (Japanese:文政) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name) after Bunka and before Tenpō. This period spanned the years from 1818 through 1830. The reigning emperor was Ninkō-tennō (仁孝天皇).

Change of Era

  • Bunsei gannen (文政元年) or Bunsei 1 (April 22, 1818): The new era name was created to mark the enthronement of the emperor Ninkō in Bunka 15.

Source of Name

The new era name was drawn from an aphorism attributed to the ancient Chinese emperor, Great Shun (大舜): "Shun reads the Heavens, and so brings together all seven governments" (舜察天、斉七).

Events of the Bunsei Era

  • Bunsei 6 (August 11, 1823): German flora- and fauna-taxonomist Philipp Franz von Siebold arrives at Dejima as new VOC physician. Bakufu policy in this era was designed to marginalize the influence of foreigners in Bunsei Japan; however, an unintended and opposite consequence of sakoku was to enhance the value and significance of a very small number of thoughtful observers like von Siebold, whose writings document what he learned or discovered first-hand. Von Siebold's published accounts and unpublished writings provided a unique and useful perspective for Orientalists and Japanologists in the 19th century; and his work continues to be rigorously examined by modern researchers today.[1]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Screech, T. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822, p. 73.

Further reading

  • Screech, Timon. (2006). 'Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822. London.
  • Siebold, Philipp Franz. (18__). Fauna Japonica. Leiden.
  • Siebold, Philipp Franz. (18__). Flora Japonica. Leiden.

See also


Bunsei 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th
Gregorian 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830

Preceded by:
Bunka

Era or nengō:
Bunsei

Succeeded by:
Tenpō