Goodbye Heisei, Hello Reiwa!

In one month’s time crown prince Naruhito will take the throne from his father Akihito, the current emperor Heisei, in what will be a much celebrated day. Each emperor is presented with a name that will represent their reign and we finally know what the new era will be! On May 1st we will be entering the Reiwa (令和) Era, meaning “Harmonious Reign,” marking 2019 as the year Reiwa 1. All subsequent years will be of the Reiwa Era until Naruhito is eventually succeeded by his brother Fumihito and then nephew Hisahito. As it stands women cannot inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne, so Naruhito’s only daughter Aiko is not in line to take over her father’s position. One day this may change, but until then we have much to look forward to ^^