Kakei facts for kids

Kakei (嘉慶) was a special name for a time period in Japan. It's like how we have years, but in old Japan, they also used "era names" called nengō. The Kakei era lasted from August 1387 to February 1389.

During this time, Japan was split into two main groups, known as the Nanboku-chō period. There was a "Northern Court" in Kyoto and a "Southern Court" in Yoshino. The leader of the Northern Court was Emperor Go-Komatsu, and the leader of the Southern Court was Emperor Go-Kameyama.

Events During the Kakei Era

• 1387 (Kakei 1): Nijō Yoshimoto was a very important person in the Imperial court. He held top jobs like sesshō (a regent who helps the Emperor) and daijō daijin (a chief minister). In the first month of this year, he was removed from these roles.
• 1387 (Kakei 1): Soon after, in the second month, Konoe Kanetsugu was chosen to be the new sesshō.
• 1388 (Kakei 2): In the third month, Konoe Kanetsugu, the sesshō, sadly passed away when he was only 29 years old. After his death, Nijō Yoshimoto took back his role as sesshō.
• 1388 (Kakei 2): In the sixth month, Yoshimoto died at the age of 69. His son, Nijō Morotsugu, then took over an important role called kampaku, which was another top advisor position.
• 1389 (Kakei 3): During this year, a powerful leader named Yoshimitsu brought peace to the Kyūshū region of Japan. He also helped by sharing out land there.

Southern Court's Era Name

The Southern Court had its own era name during this time:

• Genchū, which lasted from 1384 to 1393.

Want to Learn More?

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