Kōkoku facts for kids

Kōkoku (興国) was a special time period in Japanese history. It was a "nengō," which is like a Japanese era name. This era belonged to the Southern Court during a time called the Nanboku-chō period. The Kōkoku era began in April 1340 and lasted until December 1346.

During this time, Emperor Go-Murakami was the ruler for the Southern Court. However, Japan was divided. There was also a Northern Court in Kyoto, and their ruler was Emperor Kōmyō. This period was part of a long civil war where two different imperial courts claimed to be the true rulers of Japan.

Key Events of the Kōkoku Era

This era saw some important changes in the political landscape of Japan.

Changes in Government Roles

• 1342 (Kōkoku 3): A powerful government official named Minamoto no Nagamichi was removed from his job. He held the title of daijō daijin, which was like a very important prime minister.

Important Religious Acts

• 1344 (Kōkoku 5): Ashikaga Takauji, who was the shogun (a military leader who ruled Japan), offered prayers at a famous shrine called Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū. This shows the importance of religion even for powerful leaders.

Northern Court Era Names

During the Nanboku-chō period, while the Southern Court used "Kōkoku," the Northern Court used different era names at the same time. This can be a bit confusing, but it shows how divided Japan was.

• Ryakuō: This era was used by the Northern Court from 1338 to 1342.
• Kōei: This era followed Ryakuō, lasting from 1342 to 1345.
• Jōwa: This era was used from 1345 to 1350.

Related Pages

• Muromachi period

More Information

• You can learn more about the Japanese calendar and historical eras from the National Diet Library: -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection

Kōkoku Era Years

This table shows the years that correspond to the Kōkoku era:

Era Succession

The Kōkoku era was part of a sequence of era names used by the Southern Court.