1661

Manji 4 (万治四年) / Kanbun 1 (寛文元年)

Timeline of 1661

• 1661/4/25 The Kanbun era begins.

Other Events of 1661

• Asai Ryôi's Ukiyo monogatari is published, marking the first use of the term ukiyo written with the kanji for "floating world" (浮世). His books Tôkaidô meishoki and Musashi abumi are also published.
• Date Munekatsu of Ichinoseki han is accused of failing to suppress conflicts between his retainers, and has his domain taken away from him.
• Kabuki theaters are officially restricted to the neighborhoods of Sakai-chô and Fukiya-chô to the northeast of Nihonbashi, and to Kobiki-chô, to the south of Kyôbashi.
• Ports in southern China are closed and residents moved away from the coast, in response to raids and pirate attacks by Ming loyalists based on Taiwan. One hundred seventy people flee from Taiwan to Nagasaki, including at least three European women, 11 women of mixed race, and 28 slaves. These women were the last of non-East Asian origin to reside in Japan until 1817.
• Ryôgoku Bridge is completed in Edo.
• Shô Shôken travels to Kagoshima in order to request assistance for the reconstruction of the Seiden (main audience hall) of Shuri castle.
• The Shunzhi Emperor dies and is succeeded by his son, who takes the Qing throne as the Kangxi Emperor.
• Zen monk Ingen is given land by the Konoe family, and granted permission to establish a new temple, Manpuku-ji, in Uji.

Births and Deaths

• Hayashi Morimasa of Shinmusô Hayashizaki-ryû is born (d. 1732).
• The Shunzhi Emperor dies.
• Tokugawa Yorifusa dies (b. 1603)
• Zheng Zhilong is executed.

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1661

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