# Tenshō (Momoyama period)

Part of a series on the :
History of Japan :
Shōsōin :
PeriodsPaleolithicbefore 14,000 BCJōmon14,000–1000 BCYayoi
1000 BC – 300 ADKofun
300–538 ADAsuka
538–710Nara
710–794HeianFormer Nine Years' WarLater Three-Year WarGenpei War 794–1185KamakuraJōkyū WarMongol invasionsGenkō WarKenmu Restoration 1185–1333MuromachiNanboku-chō periodSengoku period 1336–1573Azuchi–Momoyama
Nanban tradeImjin WarBattle of Sekigahara 1573–1603Edo (Tokugawa)
Tokugawa shogunateInvasion of RyukyuSiege of OsakaSakokuPerry ExpeditionConvention of KanagawaBakumatsuMeiji RestorationBoshin War 1603–1868Meiji
Ryūkyū DispositionInvasion of Taiwan (1874)Satsuma RebellionFirst Sino-Japanese WarTreaty of ShimonosekiTriple InterventionInvasion of Taiwan (1895)Colonization of TaiwanBoxer RebellionRusso-Japanese WarTreaty of PortsmouthJapan–Korea TreatyColonization of Korea 1868–1912Taishō
World War IIntervention in SiberiaGreat Kantō earthquake 1912–1926Shōwa
MilitarismFinancial crisisNanking incidentMukden IncidentInvasion of ManchuriaMay 15 incidentFebruary 26 incidentAnti-Comintern PactTripartite PactSecond Sino-Japanese WarWorld War IIAttack on Pearl HarborPacific WarAtomic bombingsSoviet–Japanese WarSurrender of JapanOccupation of JapanPostwar JapanAnpo protestsEconomic miracleAsset price bubble1926–1989Heisei
Lost DecadesGreat Hanshin earthquakeCool JapanTōhoku earthquakeImperial transition 1989–2019ReiwaCOVID-19 pandemicAbe assassinationNoto earthquake 2019–present :
Topics
Capital punishment
Currency
Earthquakes
Economy
Era names
Education
Empire
Foreign relations
Geography
Historiography
Religion
Buddhism
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Shinto
Military
Naval
Politics
Post-war
Science and technology
Sports
World Heritage Sites :
Glossary
History
Timeline :
vte :
Tenshō (天正) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year" name) after Genki and before Bunroku. This period spanned the years from July 1573 through December 1592 during the Senguoku era. The reigning emperors were Ōgimachi-tennō (正親町天皇) and Go-Yōzei-tennō (後陽成天皇).

## Change of era

* 1573 Tenshō gannen (天正元年): The new era name was created to mark a number of regional wars. The era name was inspired by a passage from the Chinese classic Tao Te Ching by Laozi: :"Those who are at peace with nature bring all under Heaven into its correct pattern" (清静者為天下正).
The era name Tenshō was suggested by Oda Nobunaga. The previous era ended, and a new one commenced in Genki 4, the 28th day of the 7th month.

## Events of the Tenshō era

European dates up to October 4, 1582 are given in the Julian calendar. Dates since October 15, 1582 are given in the Gregorian calendar.
* 1573 (Tenshō 1, 7th month): Ashikaga Yoshiaki lost his position as shōgun. He shaved his head, becoming a Buddhist priest. Initially, he took the priestly name Sho-san, but he eventually came to be known as Rei-o In.
* 1574 (Tenshō 2, 1st month): Sectarian rebellion in Echizen Province.
* 1574 (Tenshō 2, 9th month): Suppression of sectarian rebellion in Nagashima.
* 1575 (Tenshō 3, 5th month): Takeda Katsuyori led an army into Tōtōmi Province where he lay siege to Nagashino Castle. The Tokugawa defended the castle; and Tokugawa Ieayasu sought assistance from his ally Oda Nobunaga. In response, Nobunaga and his son Nobutada arrived at Nagashino with a large force. In the ensuing Battle of Nagashino, the Takeda attackers were forced to retreat.
* 1576 (Tenshō 4): Takeda Katsuyori ordered the rebuilding of the Asama Shrine at the base of Mount Fuji in Suruga Province. Construction of Azuchi Castle begins.
* 1579 (Tenshō 7, 5th month): Azuchi Sect Debates at Azuchi Castle.
* 1579 (Tenshō 7, 6th month): Akechi Mitsuhide makes himself master of Tanba Province.
* 1579 (Tenshō 7, 10th month): Oda Nobukatsu launches first Tenshō Iga War, ending with his defeat.
* 1580 (Tenshō 8, 11th month): Kaga sectarian rebellion suppressed.
* 1581 (Tenshō 9, 9th month): Oda Nobunaga relaunches the second Tenshō Iga War, ending with victory and Iga left under Nobukatsu's control.
* 1582 (Tenshō 10): Takeda Katsuyori utter defeat by the forces of Oda Nobunaga led to the destruction of Takeda-built structures at the Asama Shrine.
* 1582 (Tenshō 10, 3rd month): Battle of Tenmokuzan.
* 1582 (Tenshō 10, 6th month): Incident at Honnō-ji, Battle of Yamazaki, Council of Kiyosu.
* February 20, 1582 (Tenshō 10, 28th day of the 1st month): A Japanese mission or embassy to Europe (Tenshō Ken'ō Shisetsu) sailed from Nagasaki, and its members would not return until 1590. It headed by Mancio Itō and organized on the initiative of Alessandro Valignano. Although less well-known and less well-documented than Hasekura Tsunenaga's diplomatic mission to the Vatican (known as the "Keichō Embassy") in 1613–1620, this historic diplomatic initiative remains a noteworthy accomplishment. The mission is sometimes referred to as the "Tenshō Embassy" because it was initiated in the Tenshō era. This venture was organized by three daimyōs of Western Japan – Ōmura Sumitada, Ōtomo Sōrin and Arima Harunobu.
* 1583 (Tenshō 11, 4th month): Battle of Shizugatake.
* 1584 (Tenshō 12, 4th month): Battle of Komaki and Nagakute.
* August 10, 1584 (Tenshō 12, 15th day of the 7th month): The Japanese mission to the West (Tenshō Ken'ō Shisetsu) arrived in Lisbon.
* 1585 (Tenshō 13, 7th month): Toyotomi Hideyoshi is given the position of kampaku by Emperor Ōgimachi.
* December 17, 1586 (Tenshō 14, 7th day of the 11th month): Ogimachi gave over the reins of civil government to his grandson, who would become Emperor Go-Yozei. There had been no such Imperial since Emperor Go-Hanazono abdicated in Kanshō 5. The dearth of abdications is attributable to the disturbed state of the country and to the fact that there was neither any dwelling in which an ex-emperor could live nor any excess funds in the treasury to support him.
* 1586 (Tenshō 14, 12th month): A political marriage is arranged between the youngest sister of Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
* 1586 (Tenshō 14, 12th month): The kampaku, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was nominated to be Daijō-daijin.
* 1586 (Tenshō 14, 12th month): An earthquake strikes the Chubu region, killing 8,000 people.
* 1587 (Tenshō 15): Gold or silver coins called Tenshō-tsūhō were minted. The gold coins (Tenshō-ōban) weighed 165 grams; and these oval shaped coins were worth 10 ryō.
* 1588 (Tenshō 16, 7th month): Emperor Go-Yōzei visits Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mansion, sword hunt decree
* 1590 (Tenshō 18, 7th month): Hideyoshi led an army to the Kantō where he lay siege to Odawara Castle in Sagami province. When the fortress fell, Hōjō Ujimasa died and his brother, Hōjō Ujinao submitted to Hideyoshi's power, thus effectively ending a period of serial internal warfare , which had continued uninterrupted since the Ōnin era (1467).
* 1592 (Tenshō 20, 4th month): The Imjin War begins with the Siege of Busanjin.
In 1589–1590 (in the 23rd year of the reign of King Seonjo of Joseon), a diplomatic mission led by Hwang Yun-gil was sent to Japan. The Joseon ambassador was received by Hideyoshi.

## In popular culture

The fictional plot of the classic Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai takes place in the 15th year of Tenshō.