Genbun facts for kids

History of Japan

Paleolithic 35000–10000 BCE Jōmon period 10000–300 BCE Yayoi period 300 BCE–250 CE Kofun period 250–538 Asuka period 538–710 Nara period 710–794 Heian period 794–1185 Kamakura period 1185–1333 Kemmu restoration 1333–1336 Muromachi period 1333–1573 Nanboku-chō period 1336–1392 Sengoku period Azuchi-Momoyama period 1568–1603 Nanban trade Edo period 1603–1868 Late Tokugawa shogunate Meiji period 1868–1912 Meiji Restoration Taishō period 1912–1926 Japan in WWI Shōwa period 1926–1989 Japanese expansionism Occupied Japan Post-Occupation Japan Heisei period 1989-present

Genbun (元文) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after Kyōhō and before Kanpō. This period spanned the years from April 1736 through February 1741. The reigning emperor was Sakuramachi-tennō (桜町天皇).

Change of era

• 1736 Genbun gannen (元文元年): To mark the enthronement of Sakuramachi, the era was changed to Genbun (meaning "Original civility"). The previous era ended and the new one commenced in Kyōhō 21, on the 21st day of the 4th month.

Events of the Genbun era

• 1736 (Genbun 1): The shogunate published an edict declaring that henceforth, the sole, authorized coinage in the empire would be those copper coins which were marked on the obverse with the character 文 (pronounced bun in Japanese or pronounced wen in Chinese—which is to say, the same character which is found in this era name of Genbun).
• 1737 (Genbun 2, 11th month): A comet is noticed in the western part of the sky.
• 1738 (Genbun 3): Esoteric Shinto rituals Daijō-ye (大嘗會,, ダイジヤウヱ,, Daijō-sai) were performed by the emperor.
• 1739 (Genbun 4): Some foundrymen in Edo are commanded to create iron coins for use across the empire.
• 1739 (Genbun 4): Hosokawa Etchū-no-kami of Higo was killed in Edo castle by Itakura Katsukane, and the assassin was ordered to kill himself as just punishment; however, Shōgun Yoshimune personally intervened to mitigate the adverse consequences for the killer's fudai family.
• August 8, 1740 (Genbun 5, 16th day of the 7th month): Great floods in Heian-kyō. Sanjo Bridge is washed away.
• January 11, 1741 (Genbun 5, 24th day of the 11th month): The esoteric Niiname-matsuri ceremonies were performed. This specific ceremony had otherwise been held in abeyance for the previous 280 years.

Related pages

• Edo period

• National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar"