Bunsei

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" (舜察天文、斉七政).

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 Von Siebold's published accounts and unpublished writings provided a unique and useful perspective for Orientalists and Japanologists in the 19th century; and his work continues to be rigorously examined by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.

References

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

• An'ei -- Carl Peter Thunberg, Isaac Titsingh
• Genroku -- Engelbert Kaempfer

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