Ōan (応安), also romanized as Ō-an, was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Jōji and before Eiwa. This period spanned the years from February 1368 through February 1375.[1] The emperors in Kyoto were Emperor Go-Kōgon (後光厳天皇, Go-Kōgon-tennō) and Emperor Go-En'yū (後円融天皇, Go-En'yū-tennō)[2] The Southern Court rival in Yoshino during this time-frame was Emperor Chōkei (長慶天皇, Chōkei-tennō).
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, nanchō) had been established in exile in Yoshino, near Nara.[3]
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.[3]
This illegitimate Northern Court (北朝, hokuchō) had been established in KyotobyAshikaga Takauji.[3]
In this time frame, Shōhei (1346–1370), Kentoku (1370–1372) and Bunchū (1372–1375) were Southern Court equivalent nengō.
| Preceded by | Era or nengō Ōan 1368–1375 |
Succeeded by |