Jōkyō facts for kids

Jōkyō (貞享) was a special name for a period of time in Japan. These time periods are called nengō (年号, ([nengō,] Error: {{nihongo}}: text has italic markup (help), lit. "year name")). The Jōkyō era came after the Tenna era and before the Genroku era.

This period lasted from February 1684 to September 1688. During these years, two emperors ruled Japan: Emperor Reigen and Emperor Higashiyama.

Key Events of the Jōkyō Era

The Jōkyō era began in 1684. This was a time of change for how calendars were made in Japan.

New Calendar System

In the past, the Imperial court (the emperor's government) decided on the calendar. But after 1684, the Tokugawa shogunate (the military government) took over this job. They created a new calendar. This new calendar was special because it was made in Japan and did not rely on Chinese calendars anymore.

Important Happenings

Many things happened during the Jōkyō era. Here are some of the most important events:

• 1684 (Jōkyō 1): A big fire destroyed the Imperial palace. This was the home of the emperor. It took a whole year to rebuild it.

In the 1st year of Jōkyō, Chikamatsu Monzaemon began writing plays

• 1684 (Jōkyō 1): Chikamatsu Monzaemon, a famous Japanese writer, started writing plays. He wrote for the kabuki theater in Heian-kyō (which is now Kyoto).

• March 26, 1685 (Jōkyō 2): The former Emperor Go-Sai passed away. Around the same time, a large comet was seen in the night sky.

• April 13, 1686 (Jōkyō 3): Emperor Reigen decided to step down from his role. This is called abdicating. His younger brother then became the new emperor. Soon after, Emperor Higashiyama's role as the ruler was confirmed with special ceremonies.

• 1689 (Jōkyō 6): A new calendar was introduced that included a seven-day week.

More About This Time

If you want to learn more about this period in Japanese history, you can look up these topics:

• Edo period: This was the larger historical period that the Jōkyō era was part of.
• Jōkyō calendar: This was the new calendar created during this era.

You can also find more information about Japanese calendars from the National Diet Library here.