Tenmei

This article is about the Japanese era name. For the town formerly existed in Kumamoto Prefecture, see Tenmei, Kumamoto.

Tenmei (天明) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name), also known as Temmei, after An'ei and before Kansei. This period spanned the years from April 1781 through January 1789.[1] The reigning emperor was Kōkaku-tennō (光格天皇).[2]

Change of era

As is customary for choosing nengō, the name was selected from a passage in a historical Chinese text. In this case, the text was Classic of History (書経) (also quoted in The Great Learning (大學)). More specifically from the first of the King Tai Jia (大甲) chapters. It says: "先王顧諟天之明命..." meaning "The former king kept his eye continually on the bright requirements of Heaven, [and...]." This is continued with a description of reverence, virtue, and prosperity for the lands. From this, the two characters 天 and 明 were selected.

Events of the Tenmei era

Notes

  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Temmei" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 956, p. 956, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
  2. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 420-421.
  3. 1 2 Titsingh, p. 420.
  4. Screech, T. (2006), Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822, pp. 146-148.
  5. Hall, John. (1955). Tanuma Okitsugu, 1719-1788: Forerunner of Modern Japan, p. 122.
  6. Hall, p. 170.
  7. Screech, pp. 148-151, 163-170, 248.
  8. Hall, John Whitney et al. (1991). Early Modern Japan, p. 21.
  9. Screech, T. (2000). Shogun's Painted Culture: Fear and Creativity in the Japanese States, 1760-1829, pp. 123, 125; See -- online image of 2 adjacent pages from library collection of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies and Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Languages
  10. Screech, pp. 152-154, 249-250

References

External links

Preceded by
An'ei
Era or nengō
Tenmei

1781–1789
Succeeded by
Kansei
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