THE JAPAN NEWS


 

The name of the new era is “Reiwa,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday.

The Cabinet decided Monday on a government ordinance, effective the same day, to establish the name.

Reiwa will replace the current era name of Heisei on May 1 with the enthronement of Crown Prince Naruhito. According to Suga, it was derived from the Manyoshu, Japan’s oldest poetry collection.

This is the first time that an era name has been sourced from classic Japanese literature instead of Chinese.

It is the 248th era name in Japan since Taika was established in 645.
During a press conference following the announcement, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the new name reflects the hope that culture develops further as people care for each other in a beautiful manner.

The Manyoshu was chosen because the classic anthology “symbolizes the rich culture of the people and the nation’s long traditions,” he said.