The first character is most often used to mean “command” but can also mean “good” and “beautiful,” while the second means “peace” or “harmony”. While use of the Western calendar is common, many Japanese count years by gengo or use the two systems interchangeably. “It’s a collection that expresses our nation’s rich culture, which we should take pride in, along with our nation’s beautiful nature,” Abe said. 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”. “I hope it’s an era with no war and one where everyone helps each other,” said 13-year-old Miyu Sakamoto.

Source: bd News24 April 01, 2019 12:11 UTC