Shitoku facts for kids

The Shitoku (至徳) was a special name for a period of time in Japan. It's called a nengō (年号), which means "year name." This era was part of the Northern Court's history during a time known as the Nanboku-chō period.

The Shitoku era started in February 1384, right after the Eitoku era. It ended in August 1387, and then the Kakei era began.

During this time, there were two emperors claiming to rule Japan. In Kyoto, the emperor of the Northern Court was Emperor Go-Komatsu (後小松天皇, Go-Komatsu-tennō). His rival, from the Southern Court, was Emperor Go-Kameyama (後亀山天皇, Go-Kameyama-tennō), who was based in Yoshino.

Key Events of the Shitoku Era

• 1384 (Shitoku 1, 3rd month): Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was a very powerful leader called a Shogun. He decided to step down from his high position in the Imperial court, which was like the government's main office.
• 1385 (Shitoku 2, 8th month): Yoshimitsu made a special public visit to Kasuga-taisha, which is a famous shrine. This showed his respect for important traditions.
• 1385 (Shitoku 2): The soldiers of the Southern Court faced a big defeat in a battle at a place called Koga.
• 1386 (Shitoku 3, 7th month): Yoshimitsu approved a system called the Five Mountain System. This system ranked important Buddhist temples that were supported by the government. The temple called Nanzen-ji was placed at the very top, in a class all by itself.

Southern Court Era Name

While the Northern Court used the name Shitoku, the Southern Court had its own era name:

• Genchū, which lasted from 1384 to 1393.

Related Pages

• Muromachi period