Tenmei

Tenmei (Japanese:天明) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name) after An'ei and before Kansei. This period spanned the years from 1781 through 1789. The reigning emperor was Kōkaku-tennō (光格天皇).

Change of Era

• Tenmei gannen (天明元年) or Tenmei 1 (1781): The new era name of Tenmei (meaning "dawn") was crated to mark the enthronement of Emperor Kōkaku. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in An'ei 11, on the 2nd day of the 4th month.

Events of the Tenmei Era

• Tenmei 2 (1782): Great Tenmei Famine is said to have begun.
• Tenmei 2 (1782): An analysis of silver currency in China and Japan "Sin sen sen pou (Sin tchuan phou)" was presented to the emperor by "Minamoto-no Masa tsouna, Prince of Ko-tsou'ke, hereditary Prince of Tamba, and Prince of Kotsouke and Iyo."
• Tenmei 3 (1783): Mount Asama (浅間山, Asama-yama) erupted in Shinano province only 80 miles northwest of Edo -- loss of life estimated at 20,000+. [Today, Asama-yama's location is better described as on the border between Gunma and Nagano prefectures]. Japanologist Isaac Titsingh's published account of the of Asama-yama eruption will become first of its kind in the West (1820). The volcano's devastation makes the Great Tenmei Famine even worse. Much of Shinano and Kōzuke provinces' agriculture would consequently remain unproductive or underproducing) for the next four or five years.
• Tenmei 3 (1783): Famine was exacerbated, according to 20th century studies, because after 8 years of near or actual famine, neither the authorities nor the people had any reserves left to meet further drought and crop failures of the "Great Tenmei Famine."
• Tenmei 4 (1784): Country-wide celebrations in honor of "Kóbó daï si" (Kūkai or Kōbō-Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism) who died 950 years earlier.
• Tenmei 4 (1784): The son of the Shogun's chief counselor was assassinated inside Edo Castle. The comparatively young wakadoshiyori or extraordinary counsellor, Tamuna Okitomo, was the son of the senior wakadoshiyori Tanuma Okitsugu. The younger Tanuma was killed in front of his father as both were returning to their norimono after a meeting of the Counselors of State had broken up. The involvement of senior figures in the bakufu was suspected; however, none but the lone assassin himself was punished. The result was that Tanuma-initiated, liberalizing reforms within the bakufu and relaxing the strictures of sakoku were blocked.
• Tenmei 6, on the 8th day of the 9th month (September 17, 1786): Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu) died and was buried in Yedo.
• Tenmei 7 (1788): Riots in rice shops in Yedo and Osaka.
• Tenmei 8 (1788): Great Fire of Miyako. A fire in the city, which began at 3 o'clock in the morning of the 29th day of the 1st month of Tenmei 8 (March 6, 1788), continued to burn uncontrolled until the 1st day of the second month (March 8th); and embers smoldered until they were extinguished by heavy rain on the 4th day of the second month (March 11th). The emperor and his court fled the fire, and the Imperial Palace was destroyed. No other re-construction was permitted until a new palace was completed. This fire was considered a major event. The Dutch VOC Opperhoofd in Dejima noted in his official record book that "people are considering it to be a great and extraordinary heavenly portent."

References

Further reading

• Screech, Timon. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822. London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-700-71720-X
• Titsingh, Isaac. (1822). Illustrations of Japan; consisting of Private Memoirs and Anecdotes of the reigning dynasty of The Djogouns, or Sovereigns of Japan; a description of the Feasts and Ceremonies observed throughout the year at their Court; and of the Ceremonies customary at Marriages and Funerals: to which are subjoined, observations on the legal suicide of the Japanese, remarks on their their poetry, an explanation of their mode of reckoning time, particulars respecting the Dosia powder, the preface of a work by Confoutzee on filial piety, &c. &c. by M. Titsingh formerly Chief Agent to the Dutch East India Company at Nangasaki. Translated from the French, by Frederic Shoberl with coloured plates, faithfully copied from Japanese original designs. London. Ackerman.
• Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Supplément aux annales des daïri, appended to [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo, 1652], Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth. Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. --Two digitized examples of this rare book have now been made available online: (1) from the library of the University of Michigan, digitized January 30, 2007; and (2) from the library of Stanford University, digitized June 23, 2006. Click here to read the original text in French.

Tenmei	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
Gregorian	1781	1782	1783	1784	1785	1786	1787	1788	1789

Preceded by: An'ei

Era or nengō: Tenmei

Succeeded by: Kansei