Eiwa facts for kids

Eiwa was a special name for a period of time in Japanese history. It's like how we have "years" today, but back then, they also gave names to groups of years, called nengō. This particular era, Eiwa, lasted from February 1375 to March 1379.

During this time, Japan was split into two main groups, like two different governments. These were called the Northern Court and the Southern Court. This period is known as the Nanboku-chō period. The leader of the Northern Court, who was in Kyoto, was Emperor Go-En'yū. Meanwhile, the leader of the Southern Court, who was in a place called Yoshino, was Emperor Chōkei.

Important Events During Eiwa

Shogun Yoshimitsu's Actions

• 1375 (Eiwa 1, 3rd month): The military leader of Japan, called the Shogun Yoshimitsu, visited a very important shrine called Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū. He gave special gifts to the shrine, like a sword, gold decorations, and a racehorse.
• 1375 (Eiwa 2, 4th month): For the very first time, Shogun Yoshimitsu was allowed to go inside the special rooms of the Emperor at the Imperial palace. This showed how powerful he was becoming.
• 1378 (Eiwa 4, 3rd month): Yoshimitsu moved into his amazing new home in a place called Muromachi. This super fancy house and its gardens were known as Hana-no-Gosho, which means "Flower Palace."

Dealing with Pirates

• 1377: A diplomat from a country called Goryeo (which is now Korea), named Jeong Mongju, met with a Japanese official in Kyūshū. They talked about how to stop pirates, known as wakō, who were causing trouble by attacking ships and coastal areas.

Southern Court's Era Name

While the Northern Court used the name Eiwa, the Southern Court had its own era name during this time.

• Tenju, 1375–1381

Related Topics

• Muromachi period

Japanese Calendar Overview

Here's how the Eiwa era fits into the years: