On the Daitōjin Calendar
Lunisolar Calendar, c.1907 Daitōjin Calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Daitō makes use of the Daitōjin Imperial Year, a system loosely based on the Gregorian Calendar but adapted to the country's culture, however, it is used alongside year designations stating the year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written form starts with the year, then the month and finally the day, coinciding with the ISO 8601 standard. For example, April 23, 2007 can be written as either
2667年2月16日 or
安貞17年2月16日 (the latter following the regnal year system). 年 reads
nen and means "year", 月 reads
gatsu and means "month", and finally, 日 usually reads
nichi (its pronunciation depends on the number that proceeds it) and means "day". Until 1872, when Daitō adopted the Gregorian Calendar, the reference calendar used was a lunisolar calendar, even despite the country's proximity to the Ardian Empire, owing in part to the power of the shrines and temples and likewise in part to the warrior class.
History
Fukugen Calendar, c.1729 The lunisolar calendar was used in Daitō since sometime between 600 and 100 BC, during a period known to historians as the "Yamatai Period". While there was some overlap with similar calendars used in Lijiang, perhaps indicating an overland connection between the two at some point in the distant past, it is unlikely that the two have the same origin. Rather, it is more likely that, by way of trade, the two calendar systems influenced one another, which explains why some holidays, for example, are apparently shared between the two and why Daitō adopted the sexagenary cycle alongside some procedures. By 1685, after nearly 500 years of merely intermittent trade owing to the Ardian Empire, the Daitōjin calendar had once again diverged, using local variations on said procedures. However, in 1872, following the Keiyo/Keiō Restoration, a calendar based on the solar Gregorian calendar was introduced. As a result, in Daitō today, the old calendar is virtually ignored; celebrations of the Lunar New Year are thus limited to immigrant communities.
Over the years, Daitō has used many systems for designating years. They are:
‣ The Sexagenary Cycle: Incorporating influences from abroad into the indigenous calendar system, the Sexagenary Cycle was often used alongside era names, as can be seen in the 1729 Meiwa Grand Shrine Calendar seen above, which is for "the 14th year of Kyōhō, tsuchi-no-to no tori". However, as part of the reforms undertaken during the Keiyo era, the cycle is rarely used except around the new year.
‣ The era name (元号,
gengō) system was a local invention introduced in 701 AD. Historically, an Emperor had multiple regnal eras, however, starting with Emperor Kunan's accession in 1932, each emperor's reign has begun a new era; before 1868 era names were often also declared for other reasons. Following the Banwa Restoration in 2022, the reigning Emperor, Eijirō, adopted a new era name for the first time in 154 years, however, as he has stated there to be no intention of adopting a new name at any point afterwards, his reign is likely to remain an anomaly.
‣ The Imperial Year (皇紀,
kōki, or 紀元,
kigen) is based on the date of the legendary founding of Daitō by Emperor Shin'ō in 660 BC. Based on the Gregorian Calendar, the calendar, whose full name is
Shin'ō-tennō sokui kigen ("the Era after the Enthronement of Emperor Shin'ō"), quickly replaced the Gregorian Calendar in 1872, with the former having been adopted merely eight months prior.
‣ The Occidental Common Era (Anno Domini) (西暦,
seireki) was briefly adopted by the Imperial Government in 1872 before being abandoned in favor of the Imperial Year system. Used largely in matters of foreign diplomacy and trade, the system is taught in schools, however, it is never given the same emphasis as the Imperial Year. Nonetheless, as of today, most Daitōjin people know it as well as the regnal eras and Imperial Year.
Official Calendar
Years The official dating system,
nengō, has been used since the late 7th century. Years are numbered within regnal eras, which are named by the reigning Emperor. Beginning with Keiō (1868 - 1932), each reign has been one era, but many earlier Emperors decreed a new era upon any major event; the last Pre-Keiō Emperor's reign (1843–1867), each was split into seven eras, one of which lasted only one year. The
nengō system remains in wide use, especially on official documents and government forms.
The imperial year system (
kōki) was adopted in 1872. Imperial Year 1 (
kōki 1) was the year when the legendary Emperor Shin'ō – 660 BC, according to the Gregorian Calendar. The usage of
kōki is an inherently nationalistic signal, pointing out that the history of Daitō's imperial family is longer than that of Christianity—strongly associated with the Ardian Empire—which serves as the basis of the Anno Domini system. Kōki
2600 (1940) was a special year, memorialized by the song
"Kigen nisen roppyaku nen" ("the 2600th Imperial Year"). It had been planned for the country to host the now-defunct Pan-Ardian Games and to hold the Shinkyō Expo, however, these were cancelled owing to the outbreak of the Great War.
The 1898 law determining the placement of leap years is officially based on the
kōki years, using a formula that is effectively equivalent to that of the Gregorian calendar: if the
kōki year number is evenly divisible by four, it is a leap year, unless the number minus 660 is evenly divisible by 100 and not by 400. Thus, for example, the year Kōki 2560 (1900 AD) is divisible by 4; but 2560 − 660 = 1900, which is evenly divisible by 100 and not by 400, so
kōki 2560 was not a leap year, just as in most of the rest of the world.
Seasons
English Name | Ōnishi Name | Ardianization | Traditional Dates |
Spring | 春 | haru | 5 February - 6 May |
Summer | 夏 | natsu | 7 May - 8 August |
Autumn | 秋 | aki | 9 August - 7 November |
Winter | 冬 | fuyu | 8 November - 4 February |
Months
The modern Daitōjin names for months translate literally to "first month", "second month", and so on. The corresponding number is combined with the suffix 月 (-
gatsu, "month"). The table below uses traditional numerals, but the use of Occidental numerals (1月, 2月, 3月 etc.) is common. In addition, every month has a traditional name, still used by some in fields such as poetry; of the twelve,
Shiwasu is still widely used today. The opening paragraph of a letter or the greeting in a speech might borrow one of these names to convey a sense of the season. Some, such as
Yayoi and
Satsuki, do double duty as given names for women. These month names also appear from time to time on
jidaigeki, contemporary television shows and movies set in the Ashina period or earlier.
English Name | Common Ōnishi Name | Traditional Ōnishi Name |
January | 一月 (ichigatsu) | Mutsuki (睦月) "Month of Love" |
February | 二月 (nigatsu) | Kisaragi (如月) "Changing of Clothes" |
March | 三月 (sangatsu) | Yayoi (弥生) "New Life" |
April | 四月 (shigatsu) | Uzuki (卯月) "u-no-hana month" |
May | 五月 (gogatsu) | Satsuki (皐月) "Early-rice-planting Month" |
June | 六月 (rokugatsu) | Minazuki (水無月) "Month of Water" |
July | 七月 (shichigatsu) | Fumizuki (文月) "Month of Erudition" |
August | 八月 (hachigatsu) | Hazuki (葉月) "Month of Leaves" |
September | 九月 (kugatsu) | Nagatsuki (長月) "The Long Month" |
October | 十月 (jūgatsu) | Kaminazuki (神無月) "Month of the Gods" |
November | 十一月 (jūichigatsu) | Shimotsuki (霜月) "Month of Frost" |
December | 十二月 (jūnigatsu) | Shiwasu (師走) "Priests Running" |
Subdivisions of the Month
Daitō uses a seven-day week, aligned with the Gregorian calendar. The seven-day week, with names for the days corresponding to the Ardian system, was brought to Daitō around 800 AD with the Buddhist calendar. The system was largely used for astrological purposes and little else until 1876. Much like in multiple languages, in which the names for weekdays are, partially or fully, based on what their ancestors considered the seven visible planets, meaning the five visible planets and the sun and the moon, in Daitō, the five visible planets are named for the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth).
Ōnishi | Ardianization | Element (Planet) | English Name |
日曜日 | nichiyōbi | Sun | Sunday |
月曜日 | getsuyōbi | Moon | Monday |
火曜日 | kayōbi | Fire (Mars) | Tuesday |
水曜日 | suiyōbi | Water (Mercury) | Wednesday |
木曜日 | mokuyōbi | Wood (Jupiter) | Thursday |
金曜日 | kin'yōbi | Metal (Venus) | Friday |
土曜日 | doyōbi | Earth (Saturn) | Saturday |
Subdivisions of the Month
Each day of the month has a semi-systematic name. The days generally use
kun numeral readings up to ten, and thereafter,
on readings, but there are some irregularities. The table below shows dates written with traditional numerals, but use of Arabic numerals (1日, 2日, 3日, etc.) is extremely common in everyday communication, almost the norm.
Day number | Ōnishi name | Ardianization | Day number | Ōnishi name | Ardianization |
1 | 一日 | tsuitachi | 18 | 十八日 | jūhachi-nichi |
2 | 二日 | futsuka | 19 | 十九日 | jūkyū-nichi jūku-nichi |
3 | 三日 | mikka | 20 | 二十日 | hatsuka |
4 | 四日 | yokka | 21 | 二十一日 | nijūichi-nichi |
5 | 五日 | itsuka | 22 | 二十二日 | nijūni-nichi |
6 | 六日 | muika | 23 | 二十三日 | nijūsan-nichi |
7 | 七日 | nanoka | 24 | 二十四日 | nijūyokka nijūyon-nichi |
8 | 八日 | yōka | 25 | 二十五日 | nijūgo-nichi |
9 | 九日 | kokonoka | 26 | 二十六日 | nijūroku-nichi |
10 | 十日 | tōka | 27 | 二十七日 | nijūshichi-nichi |
11 | 十一日 | jūichi-nichi | 28 | 二十八日 | nijūhachi-nichi |
12 | 十二日 | jūni-nichi | 29 | 二十九日 | nijūkyū-nichi nijūku-nichi |
13 | 十三日 | jūsan-nichi | 30 | 三十日 | sanjū-nichi |
14 | 十四日 | jūyokka jūyon-nichi | 31 | 三十一日 | sanjūichi-nichi |
15 | 十五日 | jūgo-nichi |
16 | 十六日 | jūroku-nichi |
17 | 十七日 | jūshichi-nichi |
National Holidays
Date | English Name | Official Name | Ardianization |
1 January | New Year's Day | 正月 | Shōgatsu |
1 January | Human Day | 人日 | Jinjitsu |
2nd Monday of January | Coming of Age Day | 成人の日 | Seijin no Hi |
11 January | The Emperor's Birthday | 天長節 | Tenchō Setsu |
22 January | Restoration Festival | 維新節 | Tenchō Bushi |
11 February | National Foundation Day | 紀元節 | Kigen Setsu |
3 March | Girls' Day | 雛祭り | Hinamatsuri |
Around 20 March | Vernal Prayer Day | 春季皇霊祭 | Shunki Kōrei-sai |
17 April | Armed Forces Day | 軍隊記念日 | Guntai Kinenbi |
29 April | Kunan Day* | 苦難の日 | Kunan no Hi |
3 May | Constitution Day* | 憲法記念日 | Kenpō Kinenbi |
4 May | Greenery Day* | みどりの日 | Midori no Hi |
5 May | Boys' Day* | 端午の節句 | Tango no Sekku |
7 July | Star Festival | 星祭り | Hoshimatsuri |
Third Monday of July | Marine Day | 海の日 | Umi no Hi |
11 August | Mountain Day | 山の日 | Yama no Hi |
9 September | Chrysanthemum Festival | 菊の節句 | Kiku no Sekku |
Third Monday of September | Respect for the Aged Day | 敬老の日 | Keirō no Hi |
Around 23 September | Autumnal Prayer Day | 秋季皇霊祭 | Shū-ki Kōrei-sai |
Second Monday of October | Health and Sports Day | 体育の日 | Taiiku no hi |
3 November | Keiō Day | 慶應の日 | Keiō no Hi |
4 November | Culture Day | 文化の日 | Bunka no Hi |
11 November | Armistice Day | 休戦日 | Kyūsen-bi |
23 November | Harvest Day | 新嘗祭 | Niiname-sai |
31 December | New Year's Eve | 大晦日 | Ōmisoka |
*Part of Golden Week