also: ほげん
noun
Hōgen era (1156.4.27–1159.4.20)
Japanese era name (年号) corresponding to the late Heian period. The Hōgen Rebellion (保元の乱) occurred in 1156, shortly after the era began.
保元元年は西暦1156年にあたる。
The first year of the Hōgen era corresponds to 1156 CE.
保元の乱は、保元元年に起こった内乱である。
The Hōgen Rebellion was a civil war that broke out in the first year of the Hōgen era.
The era name 保元 (Hōgen) was adopted in 1156. The characters mean 'protect' (保) and 'origin' (元), but the exact derivation of the name is uncertain.