Jōryaku facts for kids

Jōryaku (pronounced Joe-ryah-koo) was a special name for a period of time in Japan. It's like how we have years, but in old Japan, they also had "era names" called nengō.

The Jōryaku era came after an era called Jōhō and before Eihō. It lasted from November 1077 to February 1081. During this time, the ruler of Japan was Emperor Shirakawa.

Important Events During Jōryaku

• 1077 (Jōryaku 1, 1st month): Emperor Shirakawa visited some important places. He went to the Kamo Shrines, which are very old and sacred places. He also visited Kiyomizu-dera, a famous Buddhist temple, and other temples.
• 1077 (Jōryaku 1, 2nd month): A very important person named Minamoto no Morofusa passed away. He was 70 years old and had a high government job called Minister of the Right (udaijin). This role was like a top advisor to the Emperor.
• 1077 (Jōryaku 1): Emperor Shirakawa ordered a new temple to be built. It was called Hosshō-ji, and it was dedicated to the "Superiority of Buddhist Law." This shows how important Buddhism was at the time.
• 1079 (Jōryaku 3, 10th month): The Emperor continued his visits to important sites. He went to the Fushimi Inari-taisha, a famous shrine at the base of Mount Fushimi. He also visited the Yasaka Shrine.

Jōryaku Era Calendar

This table shows how the Jōryaku era years match up with our modern calendar (the Gregorian calendar).

More to Explore

• Heian period

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