Daidō

This article is about a historical era. For the sumo wrestler, see Daidō Kenji.

Daidō (大同) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. "year name") after Enryaku and before Kōnin. This period spanned the years from May 806 through September 810.^[1] The reigning emperors were Heizei-tennō (平城天皇) and Saga-tennō (嵯峨天皇).^[2]

Change of era

• November 16, 806 Daidō gannen (大同元年): The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in Enryaku 25, on the 18th day of the 5th month of 806.^[3]

Events of the Daidō era

• April 9, 806 (Daidō 1, 17th day of the 3rd month): In the 25th year of Emperor Kammu's reign (桓武天皇25年), he died, and despite an ensuing dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (senso) was received by his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Heizei is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).^[4]
• May 18, 809 (Daidō 4, 1st day of the 4th month): In the 4th year of Emperor Heizei's reign (平城天皇4年), he fell ill and abdicated, and the succession (senso) was received by his second son, the eldest son having become a Buddhist priest. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Saga is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).^[5]

Notes

1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Daidō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 137, p. 137, 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. 96-97; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 279–280; Varley, H. Paul. Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 151.
3. Brown, p. 280.
4. Titsingh, p. 95; Brown, pp. 278–279; Varley, p. 44. [A distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami.
5. Titsingh, p. 96; Brown, p. 280; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 44.

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
• 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 Odai 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 Enryaku	Era or nengō Daidō 806–809	Succeeded by Kōnin