Kenkyū facts for kids

The Kenkyū (pronounced Ken-kyoo) was a special time period in Japanese history, like how we have years today. It is known as a Japanese era name (or nengō). This era came after the Bunji era and before the Shōji era.

The Kenkyū period lasted for nine years, from April 1190 to April 1199. During this time, the emperor of Japan was Emperor Go-Toba.

What Happened During the Kenkyū Era?

Many important things happened in Japan during the Kenkyū era:

• 1191 (Kenkyū 2): A Buddhist monk named Esai brought a special kind of Buddhism called Zen to Japan. Zen Buddhism focuses on meditation and finding inner peace.
• April 26, 1192 (Kenkyū 3): The former Emperor Go-Shirakawa passed away at 66 years old. He was a very important figure in Japanese history. He was either the father or grandfather to five different emperors: Emperor Nijō, Emperor Rokujō, Emperor Takakura, Emperor Antoku, and the current emperor, Go-Toba.
• August 21, 1192 (Kenkyū 3): Minamoto Yoritomo was given a very important job. He was named the leader of the forces that would fight in the northern parts of Japan. This was a big step for him.
• April 15, 1195 (Kenkyū 6): Shogun Yoritomo, who was a powerful military leader, visited the capital city of Japan. This was an important event showing his power and influence.
• February 18, 1198 (Kenkyū 9): After ruling for 15 years, Emperor Go-Toba decided to step down from his role. His oldest son then took over as the new emperor.
• 1198 (Kenkyū 9): The new emperor, Emperor Tsuchimikado, officially accepted his role as the ruler of Japan.
• February 9, 1199 (Kenkyū 10): Shogun Yoritomo passed away at the age of 53 in Kamakura. His death marked the end of a very important period in Japanese history.

Related Pages

• Kamakura period

More Information

• You can learn more about the Japanese calendar and history at the National Diet Library's website: "The Japanese Calendar"