was a after ''

Tenpyō-kanpō was a after '' Tenpyō'' and before '' Tenpyō-shōhō''. This period spanned mere months, April through July 749. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 749 : The new era name ''Tenpyō-kanpō'' is not found in some chronologies because it ...

'' and before '' Tenpyō-hōji.'' This period spanned the years from July 749 through August 757. The reigning empress was .

Change of era

* 749 : The new era name of Tenpyō-shōhō (meaning "Heavenly Peace and Victorious Treasure") was created to mark the accession of Empress Kōken. Shortly after ''Tenpyō-kanpō'' was initially proclaimed,

Emperor Shōmu was the 45th Emperor of Japan, emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 聖武天皇 (45)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 749, duri ...

renounced the throne, thus becoming the first emperor to take the

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

as a Buddhist monk. Shōmu's reign and the ''Tenpyō-kanpō'' era ended simultaneously as he began a new phase of his life. The previous era ended after a mere four months, and the new one commenced in Tenpyō-kanpō 1, on the 2nd day of the 7th month of 749.Brown, p. 274.

Events of the ''Tenpyō-shōhō'' era

* 749 (''Tenpyō-shōhō 1''):

abdicates, and his daughter receives the succession (''senso''). Shortly thereafter, Empress Kōken formally accedes to the throne (''sokui''). * 749 (''Tenpyō-shōhō 1'') * 752 (''Tenpyō-shōhō 4, 4th month''): The Eye-Opening Ceremony celebrating the completion of the Great Buddha is held at

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admir ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

. * 5 September 750 (''Tenpyō-shōhō 2, 1st day of the 8th month''): In the 10th year of Kōken''-tennō''s reign (称徳天皇10年), the empress abdicated; and succession (''senso'') was received by her adopted son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Junnin is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui'').Titsingh
p. 75
Brown, p. 275; Varley, p. 44, 144.

Notes

References

* Bowman, John Stewart. (2000). ''Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture.'' New York:

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...

. ;
OCLC 42429361
* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press.
OCLC 251325323
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...

.
OCLC 58053128
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in t ...

''; 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:

.
OCLC 6042764

External links

National Diet Library The is the national library of Japan and among the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to ...

, "The Japanese Calendar
-- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenpyo-shoho Japanese eras 740s in Japan 750s in Japan 749 757 8th-century neologisms