© Copyright Robert
Cole 2015 - No copying or distributing -
Dates
There are several dating schemes:
-NENGO - Japan's time periods
-KANSHI - Chinese import, repeating 60 year cycle
-Years since Imperial ascention JIMMU-TENNO, 660 BC
NENGO are the changing set of common time periods, originally marking the
ascention of a new Emperor. Proclaiming a new time often became
politically convenient and the occasion of NENGO was expanded. There has
been several changes of habit regarding the reasoning for changing NENGO.
There has been 232 NENGO from TAI-KA 645, if counting is inclusive to
HEI-SEI 1989. 229 to the MEI-JI 1868. One must remember that the 1st year
of a NENGO is the beginning year, so that adding years to dates must give
one year to that first NENGO year. For instance, SHO-WA is 1926.
Consequently, the third year of SHO-WA is 1928.
NENGO is the most common found date system and is presented for reference
both alphabetically and chronologically at the back of these books.
1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
| | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
SHO-WA
Swords making use of NENGO are carried forth in block form much the same
as signatures.
//////////ARTWORK//////////
Show dating block schmatics
//////////////////////////////
Dates
KANSHI is a system of time-marking imported from China that comprises a
60 year, repeating cycle of years. This is the "Trunks and Twigs" or
"Trees & Branches" cycle.
The Five Elements visit us twice as Elder Brother and Younger Brother,
hense there are 10, or the "Ten Trunks" JIKKAN, also: "Ten Shields"
KI-no-E Elder Wood
KI-no-TO Younger Wood
HI-no-E Elder Fire
HI-no-TO Younger Fire
TSUCHI-no-E Elder Earth
TSUCHI-no-TO Younger Earth
KA-no-E Elder Metal
KA-no-TO Younger Metal
MIZU-no-E Elder Water
MIZU-no-TO Younger Water
JU-NI-SHI, the "Twelve Branches" or "Twelve Twigs" are the 12 signs of the
Zodiac:
1st NE Year of the Rat 11PM - 1AM North
2nd USHI Year of the Ox 1AM - 3AM
3rd TORA Year of the Tiger 3AM - 5AM
4th U Year of the Hare 5AM - 7AM East
5th TATSU Year of the Dragon 7AM - 9AM
6th MI Year of the Snake 9AM - 11AM
7th UMA Year of the Horse 11AM - 1PM South
8th HITSUJI Year of the Goat 1PM - 3PM
9th SARU Year of the Monkey 3PM - 5PM
10th TORI Year of the Bird 5PM - 7PM West
11th INU Year of the Dog 7PM - 9PM
12th I Year of the Boar 9PM - 11PM
Put together on a stream of years, the offset of 12 JUNISHI running along
with 10 JIKKAN produces the set anew every 60 years
~KInoE NE come together every 60 years~
"Elder Brother
of Wood" KInoE NE "The Year of the Rat"
|
10 years |
| 12 years
|
KInoE __|
|__ NE
10 years |
|
| 12 years
KInoE __|
|
10 years |__ NE
|
|
KInoE __| 12 years
|
10 years |
|__ NE
|
KInoE __|
| 12 years
10 years |
|
|__ NE
See charting in Appendices for all KANSHI and their cross referenced dates.
One will also encounter sword dates of some number of years amounting
toward 2500 years. 1800 A.D. of the Christian calendar would be 2460 years
of Imperial rule. These are most likely referencing the reign of
JIMMU-TENNO.