Hōreki (宝暦), also known as Horyaku,[1] was a
Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after Kan'en and before Meiwa. The period spanned the years from October 1751 through June 1764.[2] The reigning emperor and empress were
Momozono-tennō (桃園天皇) and
Go-Sakuramachi-tennō (後桜町天皇).[3]: 418
Change of era
1751Hōreki 1 (宝暦元年): The new era of Hōreki (meaning "Valuable Calendar" or "Valuable Almanac") was said to have been created to mark the death of the retired
Emperor Sakuramachi and the death of the former shōgunTokugawa Yoshimune.
The previous era could be said to have ended and the new era is understood to have commenced in Kan'en 4, on the 27th day of the 10th month; however, this nengō was promulgated retroactively. The Keikō Kimon records that the calendar was amended by Imperial command, and the era was renamed Hōreki on December 2, 1754, which then would have become 19th day of the 10th month of the 4th year of Hōreki.[4]
Events of the Hōreki era
1752 (Hōreki 2): An ambassador arrived from the
Ryūkyū Kingdom.[3]: 418
1758 (Hōreki 8): The
Hōreki incident involved a small number of
kuge who favored a restoration of Imperial power; and this was construed as a threat by the shogunate.[5]