Tenpyō

, also romanized as Tempyō, was a  after Jinki and before Tenpyō-kanpō.  This period started in August 729 and ended in April 749.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005).  "Tempyō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 957.  The reigning emperor was .Nussbaum, "Shōmu Tennō," p. 884; Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 67-73; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 272-273; Varley, H. Paul. Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 141-143.

Events of the Tenpyō era
 740 (Tenpyō 12, 10th month): The forces of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu are defeated in Hizen Province on the island of Kyushu.Titsingh, p. 71. 
 740 (Tenpyō 12): Japan's capital city is established in Kuni-kyō.Titsingh, p. 71;  恭仁宮跡の発掘調査 (Excavations on the Kuni Palace site, Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education) ; retrieved 2012-5-4.
 741 (Tenpyō 13): The Emperor establishes Buddhist temples in the provinces of Japan.  Provincial monasteries were built.Varley, pp. 141-142.
 743 (Tenpyō 15): The Emperor orders creation of a huge statue of the Buddha (daibutsu) which will be part of Tōdai-ji, Nara.Brown, p. 273; Varley, p. 141.
 744 (Tenpyō 16): Naniwa-kyō became Japan's capital.
 745 (Tenpyō 17): The capital returns to Heijō-kyō.Titsingh, p. 72.
 749 (Tenpyō 20, 4th month): Former-Empress Genshō died.Titsingh, p. 71; Varley, p. 141; Imperial Household Agency (Kunaichō), 元正天皇 (44); retrieved 2012-5-22.
 749 (Tenpyō 20): After a 25-year reign, Emperor Shōmu abdicated and took vows as a Buddhist priest.Varley, p. 143; Shomu was the first emperor to become a Buddhist priest; and Empress Komyo was the first empress to became a Buddhist nun.  Shōmu's daughter receives the succession (senso). Soon after, Empress Kōken's role as monarch was confirmed (sokui).Titsingh, p. 73; Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō,  Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami. Compare Kunaichō,  Ceremony of Accession (Sokui-no-Rei); retrieved 2012-5-22.

Gallery

Related pages
 Nara period

References

Other websites
 National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection

Tenpyō1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th  729  730  731  732  733 734  735  736  737  738  739  740  741  742  743  744  745  746  747  748 

Tenpyō21st  749
Preceded by:JinkiEra or nengō:TenpyōSucceeded by:Tenpyō-kanpō

Category:Japanese eras
Category:720s establishments in Japan
Category:8th-century disestablishments in Japan
Category:740s disestablishments
Category:720s establishments