Kanshō

. [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). "Annales des empereurs du japon," pp. 331-351.]

Change of era

*; 1460: The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events. The old era ended and a new one commenced in "Chōroku" 4.

Events of the "Kanshō" era

Until former-Emperor Go-Komatsu died in 1433, Go-Hanazono held only a title. Although he may have been identified as the formal head of the Daïri or the Imperial "government", the fact-of-the-matter was that any real authority in the court was wielded by his "retired" uncle. During these years, Go-Komatsu exercised indirect powers in a uniquely Japanese a practice known as cloistered rule. After Komatsu's death, Go-Hanazono enjoyed 30 years of direct imperial rule; and after he did step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne, Go-Hanozano intended that the conventional pattern of indirect government by cloistered emperors would be resumed.

* "Kanshō 5", on the 19th day of the 7th month (August 21, 1464): Go-Hanazono resigned his throne in favor of his son, would be known as Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. [Titsingh, p. 351.]

After Go-Hanazono gave up the throne, there were no further abdications until "Tenshō" 14 (1586), when Emperor Ogimachi gave over the reigns of government to a grandson who would come to be known as Emperor Go-Yozei. The dearth of abdications is attributable to the disturbed state of the country and to the fact that there was neither any dwelling in which an ex-emperor could live nor any excess funds in the treasury to support him. [Ponsonby-Fane, Richard . (1956). "Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869," pp. 340-341.] In this instance, the former emperor lived another seven years after he descended from the throne. At age 52, Go-Hanazono died in "Bunmei 3", in the 12th month (January 18, 1471).. [Titsingh, p. 356.]

References

* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). "Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869." Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652] , "Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth." Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ... Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)]

External links

* National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" [http://www.ndl.go.jp/koyomi/e/ -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection]