Tenchō

Tenchō was a Japanese era from 824 to 834, during the reign of Emperor Junna. It followed Kōnin and preceded Jōwa.

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Emperor Junna: The 53rd emperor of Japan, who reigned from 823 to 833. Tenchō began during Junna’s reign and was named for his era.
Japanese imperial succession: The hereditary process by which Japan’s imperial throne passes from one emperor to another. Junna’s succession by Ninmyō marked a change of reign within Tenchō.
Japanese calendar: The systems used to reckon dates in Japan, including traditional lunisolar calendars and the modern Gregorian calendar. Tenchō dates depend on converting era years into calendar years.
Nihon Kōki: An official Japanese chronicle covering events from 792 to 833, completed in 840. Its account reaches through most of Tenchō and documents the court of the era.
Kōnin: A Japanese era from 810 to 824, during the reigns of Emperors Saga and Junna. Kōnin was the era immediately before Tenchō.
Kūkai: A Japanese Buddhist monk who founded the Shingon school and established its headquarters at Mount Kōya. Kūkai received imperial authorization for Mount Kōya in 816 and remained influential during Tenchō.
Japanese lunisolar calendar: A calendar system that coordinates lunar months with the solar year through intercalary months. Its month boundaries mean Tenchō years do not align exactly with Gregorian years.
Kūkai's memorial petition for Mount Kōya: Kūkai’s petition requesting imperial permission to establish a Buddhist monastic center at Mount Kōya. The court’s approval in 816 preceded Tenchō, while the institution shaped its religious setting.
Jōwa: A Japanese era from 834 to 848, during the reigns of Emperors Ninmyō and Montoku. Jōwa began when Tenchō ended in 834.
Shingon Buddhism: A Japanese school of Esoteric Buddhism founded by Kūkai in the early ninth century. Its institutional growth continued under the court that governed during Tenchō.