Something unprecedented will take place in modern Japan at the end of this month. Emperor Akihito will step down and allow his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. That transition began on Monday with the announcement that Naruhito will be officially known as the “Reiwa Emperor.” Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga displayed a placard showing the Chinese characters for the new era, which were taken from Manyoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry. There are two characters in Reiwa, the first represents “fortune” and the second “peace” or “harmony.”
