Kanna (era)

Kanna (寛和, Kanwa) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after Eikan and before Eien. This period spanned the years from April 985 through April 987.^[1] The reigning emperors were Kazan-tennō (花山天皇) and Ichijō-tennō (一条天皇).^[2]

Change of era

• January 24, 985 Kanna gannen (寛和元年): 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 Eikan 3, on the 27th day of the 4th month of 985.^[3]

Events of the Kanna era

• 986 (Kanna 2, 6th month): Kazan abdicated, and took up residence at Kazan-ji where he became a Buddhist monk. His new priestly name was Nyūkaku.^[3]
• August 23, 986 (Kanna 2, 16th day of the 7th month): Iyasada-shinnō was appointed as heir and crown prince at age 11.^[3] This followed the convention that two imperial lineages took the throne in turn, although Emperor Ichijō was in fact Iyasada's junior. He thus gained the nickname Sakasa-no moke-no kimi (the imperial heir in reverse). When Emperor Kanzan abandoned the world for holy orders, this grandson of Kaneie ascended to the throne as Emperor Ichijō.^[4]

Notes

1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kanna" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 473, p. 473, 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, pp. 148–150; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 300–302; Varely, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 192.
3. Brown, p. 302.
4. Varley, p. 195.

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 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 Eikan

Era or nengō Kanna 985–987

Succeeded by Eien