Taihō

Overview

Taihō (大宝) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; "year name") that ran from March 701 through May 704. It followed the era of Shuchō and preceded Keiun. The era belongs to the Asuka period (538–710), and the reigning emperor was Monmu-tennō (文武天皇).

The era name Taihō is notable for coming after a late 7th-century interruption in the sequence of nengō. The system of era names had been used sporadically before this point, and Taihō represents a moment when the practice was firmly re-established.

What Defined the Era

The Taihō era is most closely associated with the Taihō Code (大宝律令, Taihō-ritsuryō), a major legal and administrative reform. Although the code itself was promulgated in the first year of the era, its drafting had begun under Emperor Monmu in the preceding years. The code reorganised the central government, established a system of provincial administration, and codified ranks for court officials.

The era also saw the continuation of the Taika Reform policies from the mid-7th century. These policies aimed to centralise authority under the emperor, introduce a land-allotment system, and create a bureaucratic state modelled on Chinese Tang-dynasty practices. The Taihō Code was the culmination of these efforts, providing a comprehensive legal framework that would influence Japanese governance for centuries.

Another defining feature of the era was the adoption of the Chinese-style calendar and the formalisation of the era-name system itself. By naming the era Taihō, the court signalled its commitment to Chinese imperial precedent, where era names marked significant political and cosmic moments.

Key Events

The most significant event of the Taihō era was the promulgation of the Taihō Code in 701. This legal code established the structure of the ritsuryō state, with its penal (律, ritsu) and administrative (令, ryō) provisions. It defined the roles of the central ministries, the provincial governors, and the household registration system.

In 701, the era also witnessed the Taihō earthquake, a major seismic event that struck Japan. The earthquake was significant enough that it became associated with the era name itself, as natural disasters were often interpreted as omens that could influence the choice or change of era names.

The era saw continued diplomatic and cultural exchange with Tang China. Japanese embassies to the Chinese court were dispatched, bringing back knowledge of Chinese law, literature, and Buddhist practice. These exchanges reinforced the intellectual and administrative models that shaped the Taihō reforms.

Emperor Monmu reigned throughout the entire Taihō era. His reign was marked by efforts to consolidate imperial authority and to implement the legal and bureaucratic structures that the Taihō Code established. The era ended in May 704, when the name was changed to Keiun.

The Name in Japanese

The era name is written 大宝 in Japanese.

• Kana reading: たいほう
• Romaji: Taihō

The name breaks down into two characters:

• 大 (たい, tai): meaning "great" or "large". This character is common in era names and appears in many Japanese words, such as 大学 (だいがく, daigaku; "university") and 大人 (おとな, otona; "adult").

• 宝 (ほう, hō): meaning "treasure" or "precious thing". This character appears in words like 宝物 (ほうもつ, hōmotsu; "treasure") and 宝石 (ほうせき, hōseki; "jewel").

Together, 大宝 means "great treasure". The name was chosen in reference to Taihō-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple that gave its name to the era. The temple's name uses the same two characters, and the era name was selected to honour it.

The reading たいほう follows the on'yomi, or Chinese-derived reading, of both characters. This is standard for era names, which are almost always read using on'yomi rather than kun'yomi, the native Japanese readings. The long vowel in ほう (hō) is a feature of the on'yomi reading of 宝, which in older Japanese was pronounced with a long "o" sound.

How the Era Name Works

The Japanese era name system, called nengō (年号), is a way of counting years by the reign of an emperor or by a designated period. Each era has a name, and years within that era are counted from the first year, which is called the first year (元年, gannen). The system was adopted from China, where era names had been used since the Han dynasty.

In the Asuka period, the use of era names was not yet continuous. The sequence had been interrupted after the era of Shuchō, and the Taihō era marked a resumption of the practice. From Taihō onward, the system became more regular, though it still had gaps and changes that were not always tied to a new emperor's accession.

Era names were chosen with great care. They were typically two-character compounds drawn from classical Chinese texts, and they were meant to convey auspicious meanings. The selection process involved court scholars who would propose candidates, and the emperor would make the final choice. The name was intended to signal the tone of the era and to invoke divine favour.

An era name could be changed for several reasons: the accession of a new emperor, the beginning of a new sexagenary cycle, or in response to natural disasters or other omens. The Taihō earthquake of 701 occurred within the era, but the era name was not changed in response; instead, the era ran its full course until 704, when it was succeeded by Keiun.

The nengō system remained in use for over a millennium, with only a brief interruption in the Meiji period when it was reformed to match the reign of a single emperor. The system was abolished in 1945 but was reinstated in 1946, and it continues to be used in Japan today for official documents and calendars.