KnowraTenpyōTenpyōTenpyō was a Japanese era name used from 729 to 749, during the Nara period and Emperor Shōmu’s reign.BriefConnectEmperor Shōmu: The 45th emperor of Japan, whose reign lasted from 724 to 749. Tenpyō began and ended during Shōmu’s reign.Tenpyō-shōhō: A Japanese era name used from 749 to 757, beginning after Emperor Shōmu’s abdication. It immediately followed Tenpyō and continued the era-name chronology of Shōmu’s successors.Japanese calendar: The systems Japan has used to organize dates, including lunisolar calendars and era-based year names. Tenpyō dates belong to a calendar that identified years by era and year number.Tōdai-ji Nigatsu-dō: A hall at Tōdai-ji associated with the annual Shuni-e rites and overlooking Nara. Its religious traditions preserve practices rooted in the Nara-period Buddhist establishment.Nara period: A period of Japanese history from 710 to 794, when the capital was at Heijō-kyō. Tenpyō falls within this period of centralized government and court culture.Taihō Code: A legal and administrative code promulgated in Japan in 701, modeled partly on Chinese institutions. The ritsuryō system established by this code structured government during Tenpyō.Lunisolar calendar: A calendar whose months follow lunar cycles while its year is aligned with the solar year. Japanese dates in the Tenpyō period were reckoned with a lunisolar calendar.Shuni-e: An annual Buddhist repentance ceremony held at Tōdai-ji’s Nigatsu-dō in Nara. The rite exemplifies the Buddhist ceremonies cultivated under Nara-period state patronage.Japanese era name: A Japanese calendrical designation marking a period associated with an emperor or significant event. Tenpyō is one instance of Japan’s era-name system.Tōdai-ji: A Buddhist temple in Nara, home to the Great Buddha commissioned by Emperor Shōmu. Its construction became one of the defining religious projects of Shōmu’s reign.Show all 21Linked from 2 pagesTenpyō-kanpōRelated: Its final months immediately preceded the adoption of Tenpyō-kanpō.JinkiRelated: Tenpyō succeeded Jinki in 729 and continued through much of Shōmu’s reign.