Japan on Monday revealed the name of the era that will define the new emperor’s reign when he ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne next month following a historic abdication. An era that has been given the name ‘Reiwa’.
Japan’s current era, Heisei, will end in a month with Emperor Akihito’s historic abdication. Crown Prince Naruhito will become emperor on 1 May.
The name consists of two characters: “Rei”, which can have meanings related to “order” but also “auspicious” and “Wa”, usually translated as “peace” or “harmony.”
After weeks of fevered speculation and top-secret discussions, the two “kanji” characters were unveiled to reveal a name that will last as long as new emperor Naruhito’s rule.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the highly-anticipated name by holding up a board with the characters handwritten on it and then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed the nation to explain its meaning.
The announcement of a new era name is a big event in Japan, marked with special newspaper editions, calligraphy shows and public festivities.
Although the Gregorian calendar is widely used in the world’s third-largest economy, Japan is the only country still using Chinese-style imperial calendars for private and public documents as well as computer records.
