Reiki

Overview

Reiki (霊亀) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; "year name") that followed Wadō and preceded Yōrō. The era spanned from September 715 through November 717, during the Nara period (710–794). The reigning sovereign was Empress Genshō (元正天皇, Genshō-tennō).

The era name Reiki is one of the shorter named periods of the early Nara period, lasting just over two years. It sits between the better-known Wadō era, associated with the Wadōkaichin coins, and the Yōrō era, which gave its name to the Yōrō Code.

What Defined the Era

The Reiki era began in the ninth month of 715, when Empress Genshō ascended the throne following the abdication of her mother, Empress Genmei. The change of era name marked the start of a new reign, a standard practice in the Japanese imperial system.

The era was defined by continuity rather than rupture. The administrative and legal structures established under the preceding Taihō Code continued to operate, and the court at Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara) remained the centre of political life. Empress Genshō's reign was notable for the continued influence of her mother, Genmei, who retained significant authority as a retired sovereign.

The Reiki period also saw the ongoing consolidation of the provincial administrative system. The court continued to issue land surveys and maintain the census registers that underpinned the ritsuryō state, though specific records from this era are sparse compared to later periods.

Key Events

In 715, the era name was proclaimed upon Genshō's accession. The new empress was the fifth sovereign of the Nara period and the second woman to hold the throne in that era, following her mother.

During the Reiki era, the court continued its efforts to extend control over the eastern provinces. The establishment of new provincial governorships and the reinforcement of border defences in the northeast were ongoing concerns, though no single decisive campaign marks the period.

In 717, the era name was changed to Yōrō, ending the Reiki period in the eleventh month of that year. The Yōrō era would later be remembered for the compilation of the Yōrō Code, a major legal revision, but that work fell outside the Reiki years themselves.

The Name in Japanese

The era name is written 霊亀 in Japanese. Its kana reading is れいき, and its romaji is Reiki.

The name breaks down into two characters:

• 霊 (rei) — meaning "spirit" or "soul." In this context, it carries connotations of the numinous or the sacred, often associated with spiritual power or divine presence. The character appears in words like 霊魂 (reikon, "spirit/soul") and 霊園 (reien, "cemetery").
• 亀 (ki) — meaning "turtle" or "tortoise." In East Asian tradition, the turtle is a symbol of longevity, wisdom, and the cosmos. The character appears in 亀 (kame, "turtle") and in compounds like 亀裂 (kiretsu, "crack" — from the pattern on a turtle's shell).

Together, 霊亀 reads as Reiki, "spirit turtle." The name evokes the mythical turtle that was believed to carry divine messages or appear as an auspicious omen. In Chinese and Japanese cosmology, the turtle was one of the four sacred animals, associated with the north and with winter, and its appearance was taken as a sign of benevolent heavenly favour.

The choice of such an auspicious name reflects the era-naming practice of the time, where rulers selected characters that invoked peace, virtue, and divine blessing. The turtle imagery also connects to the broader East Asian tradition of using animal omens to legitimise rule.

How the Era Name Works

The Japanese era name system, known as nengō (年号), dates back to 645 CE, when the Taika Reform introduced the practice of naming years after a reigning sovereign's proclamation. Each era name was chosen to mark a new beginning, often tied to an imperial accession, a natural phenomenon, or a political event.

An era name typically consisted of two kanji characters, selected for their auspicious meanings. The characters were drawn from classical Chinese texts, and the selection process involved court scholars who proposed candidates for the emperor's approval. The names were meant to express the ideals of the reign — peace, prosperity, harmony, or divine favour.

The era name changed when a new emperor or empress took the throne, but it could also change mid-reign in response to significant events. A change might be proclaimed to mark a new year, to celebrate an auspicious omen, or to ward off misfortune after a disaster. This practice meant that a single reign could encompass several era names.

The Reiki era followed this pattern precisely. It began with Genshō's accession in 715 and ended with a new proclamation in 717, when the court adopted the name Yōrō. The system continued in use until 1868, when the Meiji government instituted the practice of a single era name per reign, a system that remains in place today under the name of the current emperor's reign, Reiwa.

For students of Japanese, era names are more than historical labels. They appear in dates throughout classical and modern texts, and they anchor the Japanese calendar to the imperial line. Knowing the era names of the Nara period — Wadō, Reiki, Yōrō — provides a framework for understanding the sequence of events in early Japanese history and for reading documents that use the traditional dating system.