Enpō facts for kids

Enpō (延宝), also known as Empo, was a special way to name years in Japan, like how we have different eras today. It is called a Japanese era name (年号,, nengō,, lit. "year name"). This period came after the Kanbun era and before the Tenna era. The Enpō era started in September 1673 and ended in September 1681. During this time, Emperor Reigen was the reigning emperor of Japan.

Important Events During the Enpō Era

In the first year of the Enpō era, Mitsui opened its first store in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

The Enpō era saw several important events happen in Japan.

• 1673 (Enpō 1): A very large fire caused a lot of damage in Heian-kyō, which is now known as Kyoto.

• 1673 (Enpō 1): The famous company Mitsui opened its first dry goods store in Edo. Edo is what we call Tokyo today.

• May 10, 1674 (Enpō 2, 5th day of the 4th month): Ingen, a very important Buddhist monk, passed away. He died at Mampuku-ji temple, which is near Heian-kyō.

• 1675 (Enpō 3): Another big fire happened in Heian-kyō, causing more damage.

• 1675 (Enpō 3): The Bonin Islands were explored by people sent by the Japanese government, called the shogunate.

• April 7, 1680 (Enpō 8, 8th day of the 3rd month): Tokugawa Ietsuna, who was the leader of Japan (the shogun), died.

• September 11, 1680 (Enpō 8, 19th day of the 8th month): Former-Emperor Go-Mizunoo also passed away during this year.

Years of the Enpō Era

This table shows the years that were part of the Enpō era:

Related Information

• Edo period
• You can learn more about the Japanese calendar from the National Diet Library's historical overview: "The Japanese Calendar"