Kōō (Nanboku-chō period) facts for kids

Kōō (pronounced Koh-oh) was a special name for a time period in Japan. Think of it like how we have years, but in old Japan, they also had names for groups of years, called nengō. The Kōō period lasted from February 1389 to March 1390.

During this time, Japan was split into two main groups, like two different governments, each with its own emperor. This was called the Nanboku-chō period, or the "Northern and Southern Courts" period.

The Kōō era name was used by the Northern Court. Their emperor was Emperor Go-Komatsu, who lived in Kyoto. But there was also a rival emperor, Emperor Go-Kameyama, who led the Southern Court from a place called Yoshino.

What Happened During Kōō?

• 1389 (Kōō 1): A powerful leader named Yoshimitsu faced opposition from another important figure, Ashikaga Ujimitsu. Ashikaga Ujimitsu was a high-ranking official in the Kamakura region.
• 1389 (Kōō 1, 7th month): Saioinji Sanetoshi passed away at 56 years old. He had held a very important job as the Minister of the Right, which was a top position in the government.

Other Era Names at the Time

While the Northern Court used Kōō, the Southern Court had its own era name.

• The Southern Court used the name Genchū from 1384 to 1393.

Learn More

• You can learn more about this time in Japanese history by looking up the Muromachi period.