Chōshō facts for kids

Chōshō (長承) was a special way to count years in Japan a long time ago. It's like how we use "AD" or "CE" today, but Japan had its own system called nengō (年号), which means "year name."

The Chōshō period came after an era called Tenshō and before Hōen. It lasted from August 1132 to November 1135. During this time, the emperor of Japan was Sutoku (崇徳天皇).

Important Events of the Chōshō Era

• 1132 (Chōshō 1, 3rd month): A powerful leader named Taira-no Tadamori was in charge of building a new palace. This palace was for the former emperor, Emperor Toba.
• 1132 (Chōshō 1, 3rd month): Emperor Sutoku made a special trip, called a pilgrimage, to Mount Koya. This was an important religious mountain.
• August 1, 1133 (Chōshō 2, 29th day of the 6th month): The daughter of Fujiwara no Kanezane, an important person, became a wife to the former Emperor Toba.
• 1134 (Chōshō 3, 3rd month): The Emperor visited the Kasuga Shrine. Shrines are special places of worship in Japan.
• 1134 (Chōshō 3, 3rd month): Emperor Sutoku also visited the Hiyoshi Taisha shrine.
• 1134 (Chōshō 3, 5th month): The Emperor went to see the Iwashimizu Shrine.
• 1134 (Chōshō 3, 5th month): Sutoku visited the Kamo Shrines, which are another set of important shrines.

Sadly, the Chōshō era was also known as a time when there was a lot of hunger because of a famine.

Years in Chōshō

Here's how the Chōshō era years match up with our modern calendar:

Related pages

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