What is Reiwa and why is this the beginning of a new imperial era for Japan?

Japan has announced that the name of its new imperial era, which will begin on May 1, will be "Reiwa".

The current era of the country, the Heisei, will end in a month, with the historic abdication of Emperor Akihito.

The chief secretary of the cabinet, Yoshihide Suga, announced the expected name by wearing a banner with the calligraphy of the characters describing the name.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has addressed the nation to explain its significance.

Each kingdom of an emperor of Japan, or "gengo", receives a name used to mark the years in parallel with the western calendar.

What does Reiwa mean?

The term new era is composed of two characters: Rei and Wa, which mean "order" and "peace" or "harmony".

It's the first time that the name is derived from an ancient anthology of Japanese poems, the Manyoshu, instead of Chinese poems, Abe said.

The Manyoshu symbolizes "Japan's deep public culture and long tradition," said the prime minister.

"Our country is facing a great economic period, but many Japanese values ​​should not disappear," Abe told the media.

There have been only four eras in the modern history of Japan. The current Akihito emperor, Heisei, which means "achieve peace", was preceded by the Showa era (1926-1989), which can be translated as "enlightened harmony".

Before that, the Taisho era (1912-1926) meant "great virtue", while the Meiji genre (1868-1912) meant "enlightened realm".

What is the importance of an imperial era?

The name of each gengo is to set the tone for decades to come and retain its meaning in the daily lives of most Japanese.

It appears on coins, newspapers, driving licenses and official documents.

The revelation of the name, on Monday, comes after weeks of speculation and ultra-secretive discussions within the firm, who have selected the winning term from a series of names compiled by a panel of scholars and experts.

Although still in use, the Gengo calendar is losing its popularity, as Japan is opening up to global influence.

Since both calendars use the western months, many people simply use them in parallel.

Why will the current emperor abdicate?

The Japanese government confirmed in December 2017 that the current 85-year-old Emperor Akihito would abdicate in April 2019 due to his advanced age and that he would surrender the throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

He will be the first emperor of Japan to leave office in more than two centuries.

In general, the new era only comes to light when an emperor dies and his successor badumes the throne. But things have changed this time due to abdication.

The announcement had been made a month in advance to allow government offices and businesses to update their software and prepare for the start of the transition next month.