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Japan's Next Era to be Called "Reiwa"
New Era Name 'Reiwa' Defines Japan As Emperor Akihito Prepares To Abdicate [npr.org]
Japan has revealed the name of its next imperial era to be "Reiwa," set to begin May 1 as Crown Prince Naruhito is expected to take the throne.
Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, announced the name at a press conference Monday morning local time, unveiling a board with the two kanji characters written on it. While there was some deliberation over the exact meaning, the two characters that make up the new name, or the "gengo," translate roughly to "good fortune" and "peace" or "harmony," according to The Japan Times [japantimes.co.jp].
"We hope [the era name] will be widely accepted by the people and deeply rooted as part of their daily lives," Suga told reporters [apnews.com].
The announcement comes as the current "Heisei" era draws to a close after three decades, with Emperor Akihito set to step down on April 30 in the first abdication of the throne in over 200 years.
Also at BBC [bbc.com].
See also: Japan's New Era Gets a Name, but No One Can Agree What It Means [nytimes.com]
Previously: MonarchyNews: The King is My Co-Pilot and Japanese Succession "Crisis" [soylentnews.org]
Japan Clears Way for Emperor to Step Down in 1st Abdication in 200 Years [soylentnews.org]
Big Tech Warns of 'Japan's Millennium Bug' Ahead of Akihito's Abdication [soylentnews.org]
