Shōchū

Overview

Shōchū (正中) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; literally "year name") that followed Genkō and preceded Karyaku. The era spanned from December 1324 to April 1326, during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The reigning emperor throughout the era was Go-Daigo-tennō (後醍醐天皇).

Era names in Japan mark years by imperial decree, and each new era begins with a specific date rather than a calendar year. Shōchū therefore covers parts of two Western calendar years: it began in December 1324 and ended in April 1326.

What Defined the Era

The Shōchū era unfolded in the final decade of the Kamakura shogunate, a military government based in Kamakura that had held effective power since the late twelfth century. Emperor Go-Daigo, who had ascended the throne in 1318, was actively working to restore direct imperial authority. His ambitions set the stage for the political struggles that would eventually bring down the shogunate.

The era name itself was chosen during a period of tension between the imperial court in Kyoto and the shogunate. Naming an era was a prerogative of the emperor, but the shogunate exercised considerable influence over court affairs. The selection of Shōchū reflected the court's hopes for a peaceful and correct reign, even as the underlying conflicts remained unresolved.

The brevity of the era—roughly sixteen months—was typical of the period. Era names changed frequently, often to mark a new imperial reign, a major event, or an attempt to reset the calendar after a disaster or political crisis. Shōchū was no exception, and it gave way to Karyaku in April 1326.

Key Events

The most significant event of the Shōchū era was the Shōchū Incident (正中の変, Shōchū no hen) of 1324. Emperor Go-Daigo, seeking to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate, plotted with a group of court nobles and warriors. The conspiracy was uncovered before it could be carried out, and the shogunate arrested the key conspirators.

The emperor himself was not punished directly, but the failure of the plot demonstrated the difficulty of challenging shogunal authority. The incident also revealed that Go-Daigo was willing to use force to achieve his goals, setting a precedent for his later, more successful efforts in the Genkō War of 1331–1333.

Beyond the incident, the era saw the continued administrative functioning of the shogunate under the regent Hōjō Takatoki. The Kamakura government faced growing discontent among warriors who felt inadequately rewarded, as well as financial strain from the costs of maintaining its military and administrative apparatus. These pressures would intensify in the years following Shōchū.

The Name in Japanese

The era name is written 正中 in Japanese.

• Kana reading: しょうちゅう
• Romaji: Shōchū

The name consists of two kanji:

• 正 — read here as shō (しょう). This character means "correct," "right," or "proper." It also carries the sense of "exactly" or "just," as in the middle of something. In compound words, it frequently appears with the meaning of "true" or "righteous."
• 中 — read here as chū (ちゅう). This character means "middle," "center," or "within." It is one of the most common kanji in Japanese, appearing in words like 中国 (Chūgoku, "China" or "central country") and 中世 (chūsei, "the Middle Ages").

Together, 正中 conveys the sense of "exactly in the middle" or "the correct center." The name suggests a time of proper balance or a point of perfect alignment. In classical Chinese and Japanese usage, the phrase could also imply impartiality or the virtue of holding to the middle way.

The reading shōchū is an on-yomi reading, meaning it derives from the Chinese pronunciation of the characters as borrowed into Japanese. This is standard for era names, which were almost always composed of Chinese-style compounds and read in their Sino-Japanese pronunciation.

How the Era Name Works

A Japanese era name, or nengō (年号), is a system of naming years that Japan adopted from China in the seventh century. The first nengō was Taika (大化), established in 645. From that point, the system continued with interruptions until 701, after which it became continuous and has remained in use to the present day.

Each era name is proclaimed by the emperor and remains in effect until it is changed. In the medieval period, era names were often changed more frequently than they are today. A new era might be declared to mark an auspicious event, to ward off misfortune, or to signal a fresh start after a natural disaster or political upheaval.

The era name functions as a way of counting years. The first year of an era is called its first year (元年, gannen), and subsequent years are numbered from there. For example, the first year of Shōchū was 1324, and the second year was 1325. When the era changed to Karyaku in April 1326, the calendar reset to Karyaku's first year.

In modern Japan, the system continues under the 1989 law that ties the era name to the reign of the emperor. Each emperor has one era name for the entirety of his reign, a practice that began with the Meiji era in 1868. In the Kamakura period, however, era names could change multiple times within a single reign, as the case of Go-Daigo demonstrates: his reign saw the eras Bunpō, Genkō, Shōchū, Karyaku, Gentoku, and Genkō again before the system was reformed.

For students of Japanese, era names appear constantly in historical documents, literature, and dates. Knowing the era name helps place an event in its historical context, and the characters themselves often carry meaning that reflects the values or concerns of the time. Shōchū, with its sense of "correct middle," is a typical example of how era names expressed the ideals of the court that chose them.