Meiō facts for kids

Meiō (pronounced "May-oh") was a special name used for a period of time in Japanese history. It's like how we have years, but in old Japan, they also had "era names" called nengō. The Meiō era came after an era called Entoku and before an era called Bunki. It lasted from July 1492 to February 1501. During this time, two emperors ruled Japan: Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado and Emperor Go-Kashiwabara.

What Happened During the Meiō Era?

The lantern festival at Hasedera is part of a history of fires which includes burning of a 600-year-old statue of Kannon in the 4th year of Meiō

• 1492 (Meiō 1): In the eighth month, Ashikaga Yoshimura, who was the shogun (a powerful military leader), led his army into a region called Ōmi Province.
• 1493 (Meiō 2): In the first month, Ichijō Fuyuyoshi, a high-ranking official called a kampaku, was given an even higher title: daijō-daijin. This was the highest position in the government.
• 1493 (Meiō 2): In the second month, Shogun Yoshimura led his army to fight against the local leader (called a daimyo) of Kawachi Province.

• 1495 (Meiō 4): A very old statue of Kannon (a Buddhist figure), which was carved in the 8th century, was sadly destroyed in a fire at Hase-dera temple in Nara.
• September 12, 1495 (Meiō 4): A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 happened near Kashima.

• July 9, 1498 (Meiō 7): An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 occurred in the Enshunada Sea.
• September 20, 1498 (Meiō 7): On this day, two very powerful earthquakes struck! One was in the Enshunada Sea with a huge magnitude of 8.6. The other was in Nankaidō with a magnitude of 7.5. These were very significant natural disasters.

• October 21, 1500 (Meiō 9): Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado passed away.

Related Pages

• Muromachi period

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