Japan named its next imperial era Reiwa, or roughly “auspicious calm,” as the nation prepared for a once-in-a-generation transition in the world’s oldest continuous monarchy, with a new emperor set to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne next month. The unveiling of what had been a closely guarded secret is among the first steps toward the imperial succession. His eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, will replace him May 1, marking the beginning of the new era. “The word ‘reiwa’ implies the people’s hearts coming together in beauty to create and develop culture,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters. After the announcement, the top five trending topics on Twitter in Japan all related to the choice of era name.

Source: National Post April 01, 2019 14:37 UTC