Eihō facts for kids

The Eihō (永保) was a special way of counting years in ancient Japan, similar to how we use "2024" today. It was an official "year name" or nengō. This era came after an era called Jōryaku and before Ōtoku. The Eihō period lasted from February 1081 to April 1084. During this time, the emperor of Japan was Emperor Shirakawa.

Key Events of the Eihō Era

• May 26, 1081 (Eihō 1, 15th day of the 4th month): A famous Buddhist temple called Miidera was attacked and set on fire. This happened because monks from a different group had a disagreement with the monks at Miidera.

• July 12, 1081 (Eihō 1, 4th day of the 6th month): Just a short time later, Miidera temple was burned again. This second attack was carried out by monks from Mount Hiei, a powerful Buddhist center.

• 1083 (Eihō 3, 10th month): Construction began on a very tall, nine-story pagoda at a temple called Hosshō-ji. A pagoda is a type of tower often found in Buddhist temples.

More to Explore

• Heian period
• You can learn more about the Japanese calendar and its history from the National Diet Library: The Japanese Calendar