Shōan

This article is about the Japanese era name. For the master of the Japanese tea ceremony, see Sen Shōan.

Shōan (正安) is an era in Japanese history. This era spanned the years from April 1299 through November 1302.^[1] Preceding it was the Einin era, and following it was the Kengen era. The reigning emperors were Go-Fushimi-tennō (後伏見天皇) and Go-Nijō-tennō (後二条天皇).^[2]

Shōan 正安
April 1299 – November 1302
The Great Bell at Engaku-ji was cast in 1301
Location	Japan
Monarch(s)	Emperor Go-Fushimi (to March 1301) Emperor Go-Nijō (from March 1301)
Chronology Einin Kengen

Change of era

• 1299 Shōan gannen (正安元年): The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Einin 7. The era name is derived from the Kongzi Jiayu (School Sayings of Confucius) and combines the characters 正 ("justice") and 安 ("peaceful").

Events of the Shōan era

• November 1, 1299 (Shōan 1, 8th day of the 10th month): Chinese Chan master Yishan Yining arrived in Kamakura as a last Mongol envoy.
• March 2, 1301 (Shōan 3, 21st day of the 1st month): In the 5th year of Go-Fushimi-tennō's reign (後伏見天皇5年), the emperor was forced to abdicate; and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his cousin. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Nijō is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).^[3]
• 1301 (Shōan 3): Gokenho, a Buddhist text was printed.^[4]
• 1302 (Shōan 4): Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji mandala is said to have been completed.^[5]

Notes

1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Shōan" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 877, p. 877, 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.
2. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, p. 274-275; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. pp. 238-239.
3. Titsingh, p. 275; 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.
4. Japan Monbushō. (1876). An Outline History of Japanese Education; prepared for the Philadelphia International Exhibition, p. 46., p. 46, at Google Books
5. Archives of Asian Art, Vols. 36-36, pp. 69-70. 1982.

References

• 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 978-0-231-04940-5; OCLC 6042764

External links

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

Preceded by Einin	Era or nengō Shōan 1299–1302	Succeeded by Kengen