was a after Kanna and before Eiso. This period spanned the years from April 987 through August 988.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Eien" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see . The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 150-151; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 302-307; Varely, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 192-195.
Change of era January 2, 987 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Kanna 3, on the 5th day of the 4th month in the year 987.Brown, p. 305.
Events of Eien era 987 (Eien 1, 10th month): The emperor paid a visit to the home of Fujiwara no Kaneie.Titsingh, p. 150. 987 (Eien 1, 11th month): The emperor visited Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū. 987 (Eien 1, 12th month): The emperor visited the Kamo Shrine. 988 (Eien 2, 8th month): Fujiwara no Kaneie invited a number of courtiers to his home where he entertained them in a grand manner. 988 (Eien 2, 11th month): The emperor visited the home of Kaneie to join him in celebrating the courtier's 60th birthday.Titsingh, p. 151.
Notes
References Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Gukanshō: The Future and the Past. Berkeley: University of California Press. ; OCLC 251325323 Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 58053128 Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Nihon Odai Ichiran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC 5850691 Varley, H. Paul. (1980). A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa. New York: Columbia University Press. ; OCLC 6042764
External links National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection