Japan Reveals Name Of New Imperial Era
Set to begin on May 1, Japan has revealed the name of its new imperial era. The country’s current era, Heisei, will end with Emperor Akihito’s historic abdication. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the highly anticipated name by holding up a board with the characters handwritten on it, addressing the nation to explain its meaning.
Each Japanese emperor’s reign, or “gengo”, is given a name, which is then used alongside the Western calendar to mark the years. The new name is “Reiwa,” a term made up of the two characters Rei and Wa, meaning “order” and “peace” or “harmony.”
For the first time, the new imperial name was taken from an old anthology of Japanese poems, the Manyoshu, instead of a Chinese one, Abe said.
The Manyoshu symbolizes Japan’s “profound public culture and long tradition,” Abe said. “Our nation is facing up to a big turning point, but there are lots of Japanese values that shouldn’t fade away.”
So far, there have been only four eras in Japan’s modern history. Emperor Akihito’s current era, Heisei, which means “achieving peace,” was preceded by the Showa era, which can be translated as “enlightened harmony.” Prior to that was the Taisho era, which meant “great righteousness” while the Meiji gengo meant “enlightened rule” in English.
The gengo’s name is important because it sets the tone for the upcoming decades, and remains significant to most Japanese in their daily life, appearing on coins, newspapers, driving licenses and official paperwork.
By: Maytinee Kramer
