Tenju (天授) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Bunchū and before Kōwa. This period spanned the years from May 1375 to February 1381. The Southern Court emperor in Yoshino during this time-frame was Emperor Chōkei (長慶天皇). The Northern court emperor in Kyoto was Emperor Go-En'yū (後円融天皇).

Nanboku-chō overview

During the Meiji period, an Imperial decree dated March 3, 1911 established that the legitimate reigning monarchs of this period were the direct descendants of Emperor Go-Daigo through Emperor Go-Murakami, whose Southern Court (南朝) had been established in exile in Yoshino, near Nara. Until the end of the Edo period, the militarily superior pretender-Emperors supported by the Ashikaga shogunate had been mistakenly incorporated in Imperial chronologies despite the undisputed fact that the Imperial Regalia were not in their possession. This illegitimate Northern Court (北朝) had been established in Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji.

Change of era

In this time frame, Eiwa (1375–1379) and Kōryaku (1379–1381) were the Northern Court equivalent nengō.

Events of the Tenju Era