Ansei

Ansei (Japanese:安政) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name) after Kaei and before Man'en. This period spanned the years from 1854 through 1860. The reigning emperor was Kōmei-tennō (孝明天皇).

Change of Era

• Ansei gannen (安政元年) or Ansei 1 (November 27, 1854): The new era name of Ansei (meaning "Quiet Peaceful Government") was created to mark a number of disasters including a fire at the Imperial Palace, earthquakes, and the arrival of the Black Ships and Commodore Matthew Perry.

Source of Era Name

The new era name was derived from an hortatory aphorism: "Rule peacefully over the masses, then the ruler will remain in his place" (庶民安政、然後君子安位矣).

Events of the Ansei Era

• Ansei 1 (November 4-7 1854): Great Nankai (South Sea) Earthquakes (M8.4 X 2 & M7.4) and tsunamis kill 80,000 people.
• Ansei 2 1855): Work was begun on re-constructing the Imperial Palace after the devastating fire of May 2, 1854, and the project was completed in nine months.^[1]
• Ansei 2, 21st day of the 11th month 1855): The emperor moved into the reconstructed palace, having previously lived in the Shōgo-in and then Katsura-no-miya. The people were permited to view the grand Imperial progress.^[2]
• Ansei 2 (November 11, 1855): Great Earthquake in the area of Edo, and resulting fire, estimates range from 4,300 to 10,000 killed.
• Ansei 4 (November 15, 1857): Nagasaki Medical School is opened. Dr. Pompe van Meerdevoort gave the first formal public lecture on medical and surgical sciences at the new school, which became as well the first such lecture to be delivered in any Japanese venue.^[3]
• Ansei 5 (1858): Japanese-American treaty is signed (the Treaty of Peace and Amity), which is a follow-up to the 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa.

Edo Castle's Sakurada Gate (Sakurada mon): The assassination of Ii Naosuke occurred nearby.

• Ansei 5 (1858): Beginning of Ansei Purge at the order of Ii Naosuke.
• Ansei 6 (1859): Ansei Purge continuing.
• Ansei 7 (1860): Fire at Edo Castle.

• Ansei 7 (March 3, 1860): Sakurada-mon Incident, Ii Naosuke assassinated.^[4]

References

• Kusunoki Sei'ichirō (1991). Nihon shi omoshiro suiri: Nazo no satsujin jiken wo oe. Tokyo: Futami bunko.
• Whitney, Willis Norton. (1885). "Notes on the history of medical progress in Japan," Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, [Reprinted from Vol. 12, pp. 245-270.] Yokohama: R.J. Meiklejohn & Company....Link to digitized version of this lecture text

External links

• National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection

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