New era
Japanese Emperor change
A new era begins in Japan. The name of the era was announced.
The new era is “令和(Reiwa)”
The period is expected to start on 1 May 2019, the day when Emperor Akihito’s elder son, Naruhito, is expected to ascend to the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan. Emperor Akihito is expected to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne on 30 April 2019, marking the end of Heisei period. The year 2019 corresponds to Heisei 31 until 30 April, and Reiwa 1 (令和元年 Reiwa gannen, “the first year of Reiwa”) from 1 May 2019.
Japanese era name
nengō
As elsewhere in East Asia, the use of nengō was originally derived from Chinese Imperial practice, although the Japanese system is independent of the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese era-naming systems. Unlike some of these other similar systems, Japanese era names are still in use. Government offices usually require era names and years for official papers.
The four era names used since the end of the Edo period in 1868 can be abbreviated by taking the first letter of their romanized names. For example, S55 means Shōwa 55 (i.e. 1980), and H22 stands for Heisei 22 (2010). At 62 years and 2 weeks, Shōwa is the longest era to date.
The current period is known as “Heisei” (平成). It started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito. His son, the 125th Emperor Akihito, acceded to the throne. It is scheduled to end on 30 April 2019, his planned date of abdication. The new era “Reiwa”(令和) is expected to start on 1 May 2019, the day when Emperor Akihito’s elder son, Naruhito, is expected to ascend to the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan.
Criterion of new era naming
What is the rule for selecting a new era name?
- It has a meaning that is suitable as a national ideal
- Must be two kanji characters
- Easy to write
- Easy to read
- It has not been used as an era until now
- Not being used in common
※ It is better not to duplicate the previous era and initial letters.
Social Issues
What challenges does the modern society face in the new era?
- System bug
- Trademark rights derived from the new era
- Selection method of naming
System bug
The trouble for companies and government agencies is the need to replace the Japanese calendar with the Christian calendar.
For example, how many years ago was the first year of the Meiji era?
(1) The first year of Meiji = 1868
(2) 2019-1868 = 151
It must be calculated in two steps.
The same is true for Taisho, Showa and Heisei.
The Japanese calendar and the Christian era are one of the problems that Japanese people have.
Students who study Japanese history from now on are more complicated.
Trademark rights derived from the new era
After the announcement of the era name, many companies launched products and services named after the new era.
However, it is not possible for a specific company to register “REIWA(令和)” as a trademark so that product names and service names from the era name can be widely used.
In addition, in Japan, after the announcement of the new era name, a battle for domain acquisition arose.
In other words, it has become a kind of festival, with products related to the new era name appearing in various places in Japan.
Selection method of naming
There seems to be a debate over how this name is chosen.
It is a fact that each person’s opinion has pros and cons.
There were also negative opinions against the current Japanese politicians.
However, many will accept new era names over time.
May 1, 2019
REIWA
Twenty years have passed since the beginning of the 21st century.
The Internet era where society and economy became global,
In the media, there is a lot of noise caused by “Kaigen”.
Some people say that there is a sense of incongruity in the sound of “REIWA”, but as time goes by, you will be familiar with your ears.
It was the same 30 years ago, at the time of “HEISEI”.
Japan will enter in a new era from now on.
People who hope for a better Japan have their own thoughts. .
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