Kennin (建仁) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. "year name") after Shōji and before Genkyū. This period spanned the years from February 1201 through February 1204.[1] The reigning emperor was Tsuchimikado-tennō (土御門天皇).[2]
Change of era
1201Kennin gannen (建仁元年); 1201: The new era name was created to mark an event of shin'yū (辛酉), which is considered as the year of revolution in Sexagenary cycle. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Shōji 3, on the 13th day of the 2nd month of 1201.[3]
1202 (Kennin 2, 1st month): Nitta Yoshishige, the deputy director for cuisine of Dairi (大炊助) in Daijō-kan, died. His court rank had been of the second rank of the fifth class (従五位下).[5]
1202 (Kennin 2, 7th month): Minamoto no Yoriie was raised in the court's hierarchic standing to the second rank of the second class; and he was created the 2nd shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate.[5]
1202 (Kennin 2, 10th month): NaidaijinMinamoto no Michichika died at 54; and his court position was then filled by dainagon Fujiwara no Takatada.[5]
1202 (Kennin 2): On orders from Shōgun Minamoto no Yoriie, the monk Eisai founded Kennin-ji, a Zen temple and monastery in the Rinzai sect.[6]
1203 (Kennin 3, 9th month): Yoriie shaved his head and became a Buddhist priest; and the emperor named Minamoto no Sanetomo as the 3rd shōgun; and Hōjō Tokimasa became Sanetomo's shikken (regent).[7]
^Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, pp. 221-227; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 340; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 220-221.