Glossary

Kōwa

弘和

Term · calendar

Japanese era name (弘和) for the years 1381–1384 of the Southern Court: 1381 is Kōwa 1 (元年) and Kōwa 4 is 1384. Kōwa (弘和) is a Japanese era name (nengō) of the Southern Court (1336–1392), used beside the Northern Court’s eras, proclaimed in 1381. Its years are counted in lunar years from the new year before the proclamation: 1381 is Kōwa 1 (元年), 1384 its last year, Kōwa 4. A Japanese source dates a year within it as “Kōwa 2” (弘和2年) rather than by a continuous count. Before: Tenju. After: Genchū.