Tenna facts for kids

Tenna (天和) was a special name for a period of time in Japan. These time periods are called nengō (年号), which means "year name." The Tenna era came after the Enpō era and before the Jōkyō era.

This period started in September 1681 and ended in February 1684. During the Tenna era, the emperor of Japan was Emperor Reigen. The name Tenna means "Peace of Heaven."

Important Events During the Tenna Era

In the 3rd year of Tenna, Mitsui opened for business on Surugacho (Suruga Street) in Edo.

• 1681 (Tenna 1): Tokugawa Tsunayoshi became the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. A shogun was a powerful military leader who ruled Japan for the emperor.

• February 5, 1681 (Tenna 1): A very large fire, known as the Great Tenna Fire, happened in Edo, which is now the city of Tokyo.

• 1682 (Tenna 2): A serious lack of food, called a famine, affected Heian-kyō (which is now Kyoto) and the areas nearby.

• 1683 (Tenna 3): The Tokugawa government gave permission for Mitsui to open money exchange shops (called ryōgaeten) in Edo. These shops helped people exchange different types of money.

• 1683 (Tenna 4): Hotta Masatoshi, an important government official, was killed.

During the Tenna era, the very first book about Japanese coins was written. It was called Classified Collection of Coins (Kwacho Kuien).

More About This Time

• Edo period: This was a long period in Japanese history when the Tokugawa shoguns ruled.

• You can learn more about the Japanese calendar at the National Diet Library website: "The Japanese Calendar".