is a after Bunkyū and before Keiō. This period spanned only slightly more than a single year from March 27, 1864 until May 1, 1865.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Genji" ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see . The reigning emperor was .
The new era name was derived from the I Ching.
Change of era March 27, 1864 (Bunkyū 4/Genji 1, 20th day of the 2nd month) : The new era name of Genji (meaning "original rule") was created to mark the beginning of a new 60-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.Griffis, William E. (1915). The Mikado: Institution and Person, p. 84. The old era ended and a new one commenced in Bunkyū 4.
Events July 8, 1864 (Genji 1, fifth day of the sixth month): The Ikedaya Jiken, also known as the Ikedaya Affair or Ikedaya Incident, developed at the Ikedaya ryokan in Kyoto. August 12, 1864 (Genji 1, 11th day of the 7th month): Sakuma Shōzan is assassinated at age 53.Armstrong, Robert Cornell. (1914). Light from the East Or Studies in Japanese Confucianism, p. 192. He had traveled from Edo to Kyoto on orders of the shogunate. He was in favor of steps which would lead to an opening of the country, but his voice was stilled by death at the hands of a sonno joi supporter.National Diet Library: Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures. September 5–6, 1864 (Genji 1, 5th–6th day of the eighth month): Bombardment of Shimonoseki
See also Genji Kaku Genji clan Genji Monogatari Genji Tsuushin Agedama Genji Monogatari Sennenki
Notes
References Armstrong, Robert Cornell. (1914). Light from the East Or Studies in Japanese Confucianism. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. OCLC 220491442 Griffis, William E. (1915). The Mikado: Institution and Person. Princeton: Princeton University Press. OCLC 413118 Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 48943301
External links National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection