‘Reiwa’ is the new era name in Japan

There was a very important announcement this week, with the decision to call the new era ‘Reiwa’. This happened because the emperor is abdicating, and tradition dictates that the era of his reign also comes to an end. With the beginning of the new emperor’s reign comes the need for a new era name. The inspiration for this name comes from the Manyoshu collection of poetry, making a departure from previous era names which were inspired by classical Chinese sources. The meaning attached to the Chinese characters was explained as ‘auspicious’ and ‘peace’, showing the aspirations of the people and the country.