Chōshō

Overview

Chōshō (長承) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; literally "year name") that followed Tenshō and preceded Hōen. The era spanned from August 1132 through November 1135. The reigning emperor during this period was Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇).

The era belongs to the Heian period (794–1185), a time when the imperial court in Kyoto held nominal authority while real political power increasingly rested with retired emperors and warrior clans. Chōshō falls in the late Heian, a stretch marked by factional strife among noble houses and the slow rise of the samurai class.

What Defined the Era

The Chōshō era began against a backdrop of political turbulence. Emperor Sutoku had taken the throne in 1123 at the age of five, but his father, the retired Emperor Toba, continued to exercise decisive influence over court affairs. This arrangement—where a retired emperor ruled from behind the scenes—was known as insei (院政, "cloistered government"), and it defined the era's power structure.

Chōshō was also a period of recurring natural disasters and social unrest. Famine, epidemics, and outbreaks of banditry plagued the provinces, straining the court's ability to maintain order. The era's brevity—just over three years—reflects the practice of changing era names frequently, often in response to calamities or auspicious omens, as a way to reset the spiritual and political climate.

Key Events

In 1132, shortly after the era began, the court appointed Fujiwara no Tadamichi as regent (sesshō, 摂政) for Emperor Sutoku. Tadamichi was the eldest son of the powerful chancellor Fujiwara no Tadazane, and his appointment consolidated the Fujiwara clan's grip on the regency, a position they had held intermittently for centuries.

The year 1133 saw a notable diplomatic exchange with the Song dynasty of China. A Song merchant ship arrived in Japan, and the court, under retired Emperor Toba's direction, engaged in trade negotiations. This was part of a broader pattern of unofficial commerce between the two countries, since formal diplomatic relations had lapsed in the late ninth century.

In 1134, the court faced a serious challenge when a rebellion broke out in the eastern provinces. The uprising, led by local strongmen resentful of central taxation and interference, was suppressed by provincial governors loyal to the court. The incident underscored the growing difficulty the capital faced in controlling distant regions—a problem that would eventually contribute to the rise of the samurai class.

The era ended in November 1135, when the court proclaimed a new era name, Hōen, likely in response to another round of natural disasters or political shifts. The transition was routine: a new era name signalled a fresh start, both for the calendar and for the court's fortunes.

The Name in Japanese

The era name is written 長承 in kanji. Its kana reading is ちょうしょう, and its romaji is Chōshō.

The name breaks down into two characters:

• 長 (ちょう, chō): meaning "long" or "lasting." This character carries connotations of duration, permanence, and seniority. It appears in words like 長い (ながい, "long") and 成長 (せいちょう, "growth").
• 承 (しょう, shō): meaning "to receive" or "to inherit." It conveys the idea of accepting a mandate or continuing a line of succession. It appears in words like 承知 (しょうち, "consent") and 継承 (けいしょう, "succession").

Together, 長承 can be read as "long inheritance" or "lasting succession." The name was chosen to express hope that the imperial line would endure and that the era would bring stability. Era names in this period were often selected for their auspicious resonance, drawing on classical Chinese texts and Confucian ideals of good governance.

How the Era Name Works

The Japanese era name system, called nengō (年号), dates back to 645 CE, when the court adopted the practice from China. Each era name was a short phrase, usually two kanji, that served as a label for a stretch of years. The era began on a specific day and ended when the court proclaimed a new name, often after a few years or decades.

Era names were not fixed to a ruler's reign. An emperor might preside over several eras, and an era could begin or end mid-reign. The decision to change the name lay with the court, typically on the advice of scholars and diviners. Common triggers included natural disasters, epidemics, military defeats, or the accession of a new emperor. The belief was that a new era name could reset cosmic harmony and ward off misfortune.

In the Heian period, era names were written in classical Chinese style and read aloud in Japanese. They appeared on official documents, coins, and calendars, and they structured how people referred to years. For example, an event in 1133 would be dated as "the second year of Chōshō" (長承二年).

The system continued in use until 1868, when the Meiji government adopted the practice of one era per emperor, a rule that remains in effect today. Under that modern system, the current era is Reiwa (令和), which began in 2019. But in the Heian period, era names changed frequently, and Chōshō was just one of many short-lived labels in a long and crowded sequence.