Tenmei (Japanese: 天明, also spelled Temmei) was a Japanese era name (nengō) that followed the An'ei period and preceded Kansei. The Tenmei era began in April 1781 and concluded in January 1789. During this interval the emperor on the throne was Emperor Kōkaku (光格天皇).
Name and characters
The era title Tenmei combines two Chinese characters: 天 and 明. In classical reading the compound is often rendered as "Heavenly Radiance" or "Bright Heaven." For general information about these characters and their uses see the article on kanji.
Context and chronology
As with other nengō, the Tenmei name marked a span of years used for official dating and court records. It was proclaimed in 1781, replacing the previous era, and remained in use until the change to Kansei in early 1789. Years within the era are commonly cited as "Tenmei 1," "Tenmei 2," and so on, corresponding to 1781–1788 in the Gregorian calendar.
Notable developments
The Tenmei period is associated in historical accounts with a series of serious hardships and events that affected Japan in the 1780s, including widespread crop failures and a major volcanic eruption. These occurrences had significant social and economic consequences and are frequently discussed by historians studying late-Edo period crises.