Bunchū was a Japanese era name

Japanese era name

The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era...

 (年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Southern Court

Southern Court

The were a set of four emperors whose legitimate claims were usurped during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392. In spite of the legitimacy of its claims to the throne, the Southern Court was permanently replaced in 1392 by the illegitimate Northern Court.-Nanboku-chō overview:...

 during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts

Nanboku-cho

The , spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Muromachi bakufu of Japan's history.During this period, there existed a Northern Imperial Court, established by Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and a Southern Imperial Court, established by Emperor Go-Daigo in...

 after Kentoku

Kentoku

Kentoku was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shōhei and before Bunchū, lasting from July 1370 to April 1372...

 and before Tenju

Tenju

Tenju was a Japanese era name of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Bunchū and before Kōwa. This period spanned the years from May 1375 to February 1381. The Southern Court emperor in Yoshino during this time-frame was...

. This period spanned the years from October 1372 to May 1375. The Southern Court

Southern Court

The were a set of four emperors whose legitimate claims were usurped during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392. In spite of the legitimacy of its claims to the throne, the Southern Court was permanently replaced in 1392 by the illegitimate Northern Court.-Nanboku-chō overview:...

 emperor in Yoshino during this time-frame was . The Northern court

Northern Court (Japan)

The , also known as the "Ashikaga Pretenders" or "Northern Pretenders", were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392...

 emperor in Kyoto was .

Nanboku-chō overview

During the Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

, an Imperial decree dated March 3, 1911 established that the legitimate reigning monarchs of this period were the direct descendants of Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....

 through Emperor Go-Murakami

Emperor Go-Murakami

was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339 until March 29, 1368 . His personal name was...

, whose had been established in exile in Yoshino, near Nara.

Until the end of the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

, the militarily superior pretender-Emperors supported by the Ashikaga shogunate

Ashikaga shogunate

The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...

 had been mistakenly incorporated in Imperial chronologies despite the undisputed fact that the Imperial Regalia

Imperial Regalia of Japan

The , also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, consist of the sword Kusanagi , the mirror Yata no Kagami , and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama...

 were not in their possession.

This illegitimate had been established in Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

 by Ashikaga Takauji

Ashikaga Takauji

was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...

.

Change of era

• 1372, also called : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in Kentoku 3.

In this time frame, Ōan

Oan

, also romanized as Ō-an, was a Japanese era name of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Jōji and before Eiwa. This period spanned the years from February 1368 through February 1375...

 (1368–1375) was the Southern Court equivalent nengō.

Events of the Bunchū Era

• 1372 (Bunchū 1): Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
  Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
  was the 3rd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who ruled from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was the son of the second shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira....
  
   establishes an annual revenue for Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū.
• 1373-1406 (Bunchū 2 – Ōei 13): Embassies between China and Japan.
• 1374 (Bunchū 3): The former Emperor Go-Kōgon
  Emperor Go-Kogon
  Emperor Go-Kōgon was the 4th of the Ashikaga Pretenders during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts...
  
  died at age 73,
• 1374 (Bunchū 3): Emperor Go-En'yū ascends northern throne.