Taihō (era)

was a  after a late 7th century interruption in the sequence of nengō after Shuchō and before Keiun.  This period started in March 701 and ended in May 704.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Taihō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 924.  The reigning emperor was .Nussbaum, "Mommu Tennō," p. 655; Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, pp. 60-63; Brown, Delmer. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 270-271; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. pp. 137-140.

History
The system of nengō mirrored the Chinese system of eras (nianhao).Nussbaum, "Taika" at p. 924.  The use of nengō marked a new phase in the history of the Imperial court.  It became an example of growth in political power.Bialock, David T. (2007). Eccentric Spaces, Hidden Histories: Narrative, Ritual, and Royal Authority from the Chronicles of Japan to the Tale of the Heike, pp. 56-57.

Taihō was adopted to mark the discovery of gold in Tsushima.Bender, Ross. (2009). "The Suppresion of the Tachibana Naramaro Conspiracy," Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 37/2:225; compare  mirrored full-text ; retrieved 2012-10-23.

Timeline

The system of Japanese era names was not the same as Imperial reign dates.

Events of the Taihō era
 701 (Taihō 1): Plans for mission to the Tang court was approved.Fogel, Joshua A. (2009). Articulating the Sinosphere: Sino-Japanese Relations in Space and Time, pp. 102-107;  publisher's blurb;
 702 (Taihō 2): The  or Taihōryō reorganized Japan's government.Nussbaum, "Taihō ritsuryō" at p. 924.  It completed the Taika Reforms.Asakawa, Kan'ichi. (1903). The Early Institutional Life of Japan, p. 13; Nussbaum, "Taika no kaishin" at p. 924.
 701 (Taihō 2): A mission to the Tang court was led by .  The diplomats travelled by ship.  This was called the "embassy of Taihō" because it was begun during this era.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). Sovereign and Subject, p. 244.

Related pages
 Asuka period

References

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

 Taihō  1st  2nd  3rd  4th   Gregorian  701  702  703  704 
Preceded by:——Era or nengō:TaihōSucceeded by:Keiun
Preceded by:Jitō period686697Imperial reign:Mommu period697707Succeeded by:——

Category:Japanese eras
Category:700s establishments
Category:700s establishments in Japan
Category:700s disestablishments
Category:8th-century disestablishments in Japan