Shuchō

964–968	Kōhō
968–970	Anna
970–973	Tenroku
973–976	Ten'en
976–978	Jōgen
978–983	Tengen
983–985	Eikan
985–987	Kanna
987–988	Eien
988–990	Eiso
990–995	Shōryaku
995–999	Chōtoku
999–1004	Chōhō
1004–1012	Kankō
1012–1017	Chōwa
1017–1021	Kannin
1021–1024	Jian
1024–1028	Manju
1028–1037	Chōgen
1037–1040	Chōryaku

806–810	Daidō
810–824	Kōnin
824–834	Tenchō
834–848	Jōwa
848–851	Kashō
851–854	Ninju
854–857	Saikō
857–859	Ten'an
859–877	Jōgan
877–885	Gangyō
885–889	Ninna
889–898	Kanpyō
898–901	Shōtai
901–923	Engi
923–931	Enchō
931–938	Jōhei
938–947	Tengyō
947–957	Tenryaku
957–961	Tentoku
961–964	Ōwa

645–650	Taika
650–654	Hakuchi
686–686	Shuchō
701–704	Taihō
704–708	Keiun
708–715	Wadō
Nara
715–717	Reiki
717–724	Yōrō
724–729	Jinki
729–749	Tenpyō
749	Tenpyō-kanpō
749–757	Tenpyō-shōhō
757–765	Tenpyō-hōji
765–767	Tenpyō-jingo
767–770	Jingo-keiun
770–781	Hōki
781–782	Ten'ō
782–806	Enryaku

Shuchō (朱鳥), alternatively read as Suchō or Akamitori, was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after a gap following Hakuchi (650–654) and before another gap lasting until Taihō (701–704). This Shuchō period briefly spanned a period of mere months, June through September 686.^[1] The reigning sovereigns were Tenmu-tennō (天武天皇) and Jitō-tennō (持統天皇).^[2]

History

In 686, also known as Shuchō gannen (朱鳥元年), the new era name referred to the red bird of the south, which was one of the Chinese directional animals.^[3] The nengō did not survive Emperor Tenmu's death. The era ended with the accession of Temmu's successor, Empress Jitō.

Timeline

Timelines of early Japanese nengō and Imperial reign dates

The system of Japanese era names was not the same as Imperial reign dates.

Events of the Shuchō era

686 (Shuchō 1, 9th day of the 9th month): Emperor Tenmu dies^[4]
686 (Shuchō 1, 2nd day of the 10th month): rebellion of Prince Ōtsu discovered; he and conspirators are arrested^[4]
686 (Shuchō 1, 3rd day of the 10th month): Prince Ōtsu commits suicide^[4]
686 (Shuchō 1, 16th day of the 11th month): Princess Ōku, Prince Ōtsu's sister, is removed from position at Ise Shrine^[5]
686 (Shuchō 1, 17th day of the 11th month): earthquake^[5]

Notes

^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Shuchō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 889, p. 889, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File Archived 2012-05-24 at archive.today.
^ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 58–59; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 268–269.
^ Bender, Ross. (2009). "The Suppression of the Tachibana Naramaro Conspiracy," Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 37/2:223–245; compare mirrored full-text Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-10-23.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hioki (2007:195)
^ ^a ^b Hioki (2007:196)

References

Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Gukanshō: The Future and the Past. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03460-0; OCLC 251325323
Hioki, Eigō. (2007). Chronology of New National History, Vol. 1 (新・国史大年表. 第1卷, Shin kokushi dainenpyō. dai 1 kan). Tōkyō: Kokusho Kankōkai. ISBN 9784336048264 ISBN 4336048266; OCLC 676118585
Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Nihon Ōdai Ichiran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC 5850691
Varley, H. Paul. (1980). A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231049405; OCLC 6042764

External links

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

Preceded by —	Era or nengō Shuchō 686	Succeeded by —
Preceded by Kōbun period 672	Imperial reign dates Tenmu period 673–686	Succeeded by Jitō period 686–697