Japan has a tradition of keeping track of time with ‘imperial eras’, and it recently announced what its latest era will be named. In Japan, the ascension of each monarch to the throne reigns in a new era, thus calling it an imperial era. The new era is set to be adopted from May 1, 2019, when crown prince Naruhito will ascend to the throne, succeeding his father, Emperor Akihito. As an entire nation waited in anticipation for the announcement, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga made the big reveal―the coming era is to be called ‘Reiwa’.
Written in the kanji script (which are Chinese characters used in Japanese writing), the word comprises two characters ‘Rei’ and ‘Wa’ which mean “good fortune” and “harmony” respectively.
The word ‘Reiwa’ is taken from the collection of poems ‘Manyoshu’, an amalgamation of poetic work containing pieces from members belonging to all social classes. Maintaining the spirit of the inspiration behind choosing this word, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he hoped that “the new era name will take root among the public and be widely accepted by the people”. Having come up with this name after holding a host of government meetings, Abe further commented that the aim was to “choose a name that would lead to a new era brimming with hope”.
The introduction of the new era is in the wake of Emperor Akihito’s abdication, the first of its kind that Japan is witnessing in over 200 years. Having claimed the throne for three decades, the 84-year-old monarch feels his health may not allow him to continue being an efficient ruler, resulting in the abdication. This paves the way for his son, crown prince Naruhito, to take the throne, ending the ‘Heisei’ era.
‘Heisei’, which means “achieving peace”, is an apt name in the face of the Emperor’s efforts during his rule to spread peace by addressing the damage caused during the second World War, as well as other efforts to assuage victims of disasters and other hardships. However, his rule is also known for having started off with the asset price bubble burst, which caused a stagnation of the Japanese economy, followed by a period of deflation and deleveraging. But with the Japan of today having recovered from the ills of the past, and that too to an extent that it is now poised to become a global leader, the ‘Reiwa’ era looks like it holds promises for better days to come.