New Japanese imperial era Reiwa takes name from ancient poetry (updated)
01/04/2019 04:22
* Japan's new era named "Reiwa", emphasizing traditional
values
* Era begins on May 1 when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes
emperor
* Crowds in Tokyo cheer "gentle, peaceful" name
* Ancient poem reflects conservative Abe agenda -analysts
* Stocks with "Reiwa" name connection soar
(Adds details, colour)
By Elaine Lies and Linda Sieg
TOKYO, April 1 (Reuters) - Japan declared the name of its
new imperial era when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor on
May 1, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying it emphasized
traditional values at a turning point in the nation's history.
Crowds watching giant television screens across Tokyo roared
and raised their phones to take photos as a somber Chief Cabinet
Secretary Yoshihide Suga held up a white placard with the new
name - Reiwa - written in two characters in black ink.
The country had been anxiously awaiting the new era name, or
"gengo," which is used on coins, calendars, newspapers and in
official paperwork, and over time captures a national mood.
The first character means "good" and "beautiful" as well as
"order" or "command", while the second means "peace" or
"harmony".
The new name emphasised the beauty of Japan's traditional
culture and a future in which everyone would be able to achieve
their dreams, especially young people, Abe said.
"Our nation is facing a big turning point, but there are
lots of Japanese values that should not fade away," he told a
news conference, adding the name "signals that our nation's
culture is born and nourished by people's hearts being drawn
beautifully together."
Naruhito's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne will come a
day after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicates on April 30,
ending the Heisei era, which began in 1989. He will be the first
emperor to abdicate in Japan in over two centuries.
The announcement came a month early so government offices
and companies can update computer software and make preparations
to avoid glitches when the new era begins next month.
JAPANESE POEM
Public response to the new name was largely positive on
Twitter and Facebook, and people on the streets of Tokyo
generally voiced approval.
"It's a gentle, peaceful name," said Masaharu Hannuki, a
63-year-old man outside Shimbashi train station where free
special edition newspapers were handed out. "We want this to be
an era where children can shine in a calm future."
The new name was taken for the first time from an ancient
anthology of Japanese poems, the Manyoshu, instead of previous
names from old Chinese texts. Experts said it reflected Abe's
conservative political agenda that emphasizes national pride.
"It is a collection which expresses our nation's rich
culture, which we should take pride in, along with our nation's
beautiful nature," Abe said. "We believe this national character
should be passed along to the next era."
Makoto Ueno, a Manyoshu expert and professor at Nara
University, said the name marked a significant change.
"It means the gengo has entered a new chapter," he said.
"The system which originated with the Chinese emperor system has
been made alive in Japan."
"REIWA" RALLY
The broader stock market shrugged off the announcement, but
several shares rose due to their connection with the name.
Shares in advertising firm Ray Corp 4317.T , which sounds
like the first syllable of the new name, soared 7.9 percent.
Umenohana Co 7604.T , a restaurant chain known for its tofu
dishes, was up as much as 2 percent as the company name appears
in a section of the Manyoshu from which Reiwa was taken.
Guidelines stipulated that the era name should be
appropriate to the ideals of the nation, consist of two "kanji,"
or Chinese characters, and be easy to write and read. It cannot
be in common use or have been used in a previous combination.
While use of the Western calendar has become widespread in
Japan, many Japanese count years by gengo or use the two systems
interchangeably.
Scholars and bureaucrats had drawn up a list of candidates,
and the cabinet made the final decision after consulting an
advisory panel.
There have been four era names in Japan's modern history:
Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), Showa (1926-1989) and the
current Heisei, meaning "achieving peace".
City offices and government agencies have been preparing for
the new era name for months, aided by computer systems firms
such as Fujitsu Ltd 6702.T and NEC Corp 6701.T .
Many computer programmes have been designed to make it easy
to change the gengo.
Over time, it comes to symbolise the national mood of a
period, similar to how "the '60s" evokes certain images, or how
historians refer to Britain's "Victorian" or "Edwardian" eras,
tying the politics and culture of a period to a monarch.
The three decades of the Heisei era saw the collapse of
Japan's frothy "bubble" economy, years of economic stagnation, a
series of natural disasters and the spread of social media.
(Additional reporting by Kaori Kaneko, Ami Miyazaki, Tim Kelly
and Ayai Tomisawa; Writing by Malcolm Foster and Elaine Lies
Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Darren Schuettler)
((linda.sieg@thomsonreuters.com; 81-3-6441-1881; Reuters
Messaging: linda.sieg.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))