123rd year ISSN 0289-1956 © THE JAPAN TIMES, LTD., 2019 | www.japantimes.co.jp EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA All the news without fear or favor
月 MONday, April 1, 2019 EXTRA EDITION Next Imperial era name: Reiwa
Tomohiro Osaki yoshu,” compiled over 1,200 years ago, Staff Writer contains poems that were composed by In a much-awaited moment that her- people of varying social status, includ- alded a new chapter in Japan’s his- ing emperors, noblemen and noble- tory, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide women, warriors and farmers. Suga announced Monday that Japan’s Noting that the “Manyoshu” is Japan’s next era will be named Reiwa, taking oldest anthology of poems, Abe lauded one of the final steps toward initiating the tome as a “symbol of our nation’s the nation’s first Imperial succession in rich culture and long tradition.” three decades. “I hope the new gengō will take root Suga, who displayed a placard show- among the public and be widely ing the kanji for the era name, said it accepted by the people,” Abe said. was formulated based on a poem from Reiwa, Abe said, reflects his hope “Manyoshu,” the oldest existing compi- that it will “help pass Japan’s long his- lation of Japanese poetry. tory, noble culture and beautiful, The first character represents “good four-season nature down to the next fortune,” while the second can be trans- generations.” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga holds up a placard showing the kanji for Reiwa, the name of the lated as “peace” or “harmony.” next Imperial era, at a news conference Monday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo. SATOKO KAWASAKI The era will be the 248th in the history This is the first time the kanji for an era of Japan, which has used the Chinese- name have been selected from classi- The new era will start on May 1, when means “achieving peace.” style calendar system since 645. cal Japanese literature. Prior names had Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the At a news conference later in the day, used kanji from Chinese literature. Chrysanthemum Throne after the abdi- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the The kanji were taken from the intro- cation of his father, Emperor Akihito, a government chose the kanji because duction to a poem and describe an day earlier. they signify “a culture being born and For subscription ume (Japanese apricot flower) that has The dawn of the Reiwa Era will in nurtured by people coming together and free trial, call entered full bloom in early spring after turn end the 30-year run of the Heisei beautifully.” 0120-036-242 surviving a cold winter. Era, which began on Jan. 8, 1989. Heisei He also pointed out that the “Man (Free-dial)
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