{"id":23705,"date":"2019-04-30T12:12:28","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T11:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=23705"},"modified":"2019-05-02T08:31:05","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T07:31:05","slug":"japan-abdication-2019-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/30\/japan-abdication-2019-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan abdication 2019: Everything you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23705&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23705\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li 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class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23705%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23705\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23705\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>With a flurry of excitement around the emperor abdication, tour leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/about-us\/staff-profiles\/tour-leaders\/185\/mark-hobold\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mark Hobold<\/a> explains what is it that makes the new Reiwa era is so momentous.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23723\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23723\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23723 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2.jpg\" alt=\"Yoshihide Suga announcing new imperial era Reiwa\" width=\"1024\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-300x124.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-768x318.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-564x234.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-900x373.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-720x298.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-390x161.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-780x323.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1024px-Yoshihide_Suga_announcing_new_imperial_era_Reiwa_2-510x211.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23723\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 \u5185\u95a3\u5b98\u623f\u5185\u95a3\u5e83\u5831\u5ba4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In July 2016, NHK announced breaking news: Emperor Akihito was to retire and hand the title to his son, Prince Naruhito. In most constitutional monarchies, if somebody\u2019s old and wants to retire to be with his family, it\u2019s no big deal. He put in a lot of work after all, and he is 85!<\/p>\n<p>In Japan, it isn\u2019t so simple.<\/p>\n<p>A huge stir ensued with many pointing out that the American drafted post-WWII constitution made no procedural allowance for abdication. When scholars looked back at the pre-WWII 1889 Constitution of the Empire of Japan, they also discovered such an allowance was deliberately omitted.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t want to give the impression that this caused a full-blown constitutional crisis, but the issue did have to be resolved by the Japanese Supreme Court. Surprisingly, abdication quickly became legal in June 2017, and over the following months, committees laid out the process, rituals and public celebrations for this historic event.<\/p>\n<h2>Quick history: Japanese era names<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23720\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/The-Last-Shogun.jpg\" alt=\"The last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu\" width=\"400\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/The-Last-Shogun.jpg 400w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/The-Last-Shogun-178x300.jpg 178w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/The-Last-Shogun-335x564.jpg 335w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/The-Last-Shogun-390x657.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The last sh\u014dgun stepped down in 1868, leaving control of the government to the imperial court and ending more than half a millennium of samurai rule. Traditions say emperors have been around since time immemorial, but they haven\u2019t had any power since the 1180s.<\/p>\n<p>As Japan opened to the world and began modernising, a complex system of era names was simplified &#8211; the reign of each emperor became the name of each new period with the Meiji Period (1868-1912), Taish\u014d Period (1912-1926), Sh\u014dwa Period (1926-1989), and finally the Heisei Period (1989 to April 30th, 2019). The first year of the Heisei Period is Heisei 1 (1989) and the last is Heisei 31 (2019). On April 30th, 2019, we will begin a new era (spoiler alert: it\u2019s Reiwa 1).<\/p>\n<p>These era names aren\u2019t just abstractions. While the average person on the street in Japan may be bored to tears by the legal intricacies of one emperor\u2019s abdication and the ascension of another, their lives will be affected by the transition. Government documents, hospital registration forms, driver\u2019s licenses, diplomas, contracts, ID cards \u2013 you name it \u2013 regularly use geng\u014d or era names. As well as a new name, there will also be changes in work schedules, broadcast programming and domestic travel.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, people use the Gregorian calendar and Western system of years, but everyone under the age of thirty has only known the Heisei Era. The Sh\u014dwa Era evokes an image of post-WWII economic recovery in the 60s, 70s, and 80s (and while all that WWII stuff seems like a million years ago, even that was Sh\u014dwa!)<\/p>\n<h2>New era: What\u2019s in a name?<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23719\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23719\" style=\"width: 399px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23719 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Prince-Naruhito.jpg\" alt=\"Naruhito, the new Emperor of Japan\" width=\"399\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Prince-Naruhito.jpg 399w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Prince-Naruhito-222x300.jpg 222w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Prince-Naruhito-390x526.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23719\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naruhito, the new Emperor of Japan \/ \u00a9 British Embassy, Tokyo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Back to the present. The new era name, \u4ee4\u548c Reiwa, was announced on April 1, 2019 \u2013 irony not lost on Japanese and expats. The name led conspiracy-theorists and non-native speakers of Japanese to read something nefarious into the characters; in modern Japanese, the first character means \u201cimperial command\u201d (but in the ancient, it can mean \u201cbeautiful\u201d) and the second means \u201charmony\u201d but can also mean \u201cJapanese\u201d. However, the term has nothing to do with imperialism \u2013 that would be a bit over the top anyways, if you think about it. It\u2019s a reference to a classical 8th-century poem. Here\u2019s a widely circulated translation:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was in new spring, in a fair <em>rei<\/em> (month), when the air was clear and the wind a gentle <em>wa<\/em> (breeze)\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With no official translations for Japanese era names, the best I\u2019ve seen are: \u201causpicious harmony\u201d and \u201cbeautiful harmony\u201d, coloured with a nuance of cultural pride. Prime Minister Abe Shinz\u014d said it reflects a new culture of people coming together.<\/p>\n<h2>Public celebrations in 2019: What to expect<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3785\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/cherry-blossom-pary-time.jpg\" alt=\"Cherry Blossom Party Time\" width=\"640\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/cherry-blossom-pary-time.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/cherry-blossom-pary-time-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/cherry-blossom-pary-time-390x275.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Today, after a series of private Shint\u014d rituals at the Imperial Palace and the mausoleum of the Sh\u014dwa Emperor, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will make their final, formal public announcement to the people of Japan \u2013 and the world \u2013 to say that they are stepping down. In English, their titles will be \u201cEmperor Emeritus\u201d and \u201cEmpress Emerita\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The date was chosen to elongate Golden Week, a smattering of public holidays that result in the longest official period of days off in the calendar. People that don\u2019t have paid holidays and are required to come in to school or work will be given a full 10 days off to celebrate this momentous occasion. Online, many Japanese are grumbling that things will be more crowded, so there\u2019s nothing to do except stay at home. This may sound like real #firstworldproblems material, but it shows conflict between modern society\u2019s need to enjoy the moment and Japan\u2019s strict Confucian work ethic.<\/p>\n<p>Checking the barometer of social media, there are all kinds of reactions, from conspiracy theories to antipathy, to genuine excitement. But since the announcement of the new era name, we\u2019ve seen an explosion in souvenirs, calendars and retrospective books. As a transition that has occurred only four times in 150 years, everyone knows this is a historic moment, making it exciting for all of us in Japan.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Six things you didn&#8217;t know about the imperial abdication in Japan<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">1. The imperial family has no last name<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23726\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23726\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23726 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-720x479.jpg\" alt=\"Imperial family in Japan\" width=\"720\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-564x375.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-1200x799.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013-510x339.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1280px-Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_with_the_Imperial_Family_November_2013.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23726\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Yes, you read that right. They are the descendants of the kings of an ancient province called Yamato, so are sometimes called the Yamato clan. In Japanese, the terms \u201cclan\u201d and \u201cfamily\/house\u201d are often interchangeable, however, Yamato is not a family name. Ancient texts say the line was founded in the 600s BC (impossible), but records and archaeology show the family was in control by 600 CE, making this the longest-running extant royal bloodline.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">2. Emperor retirement isn\u2019t entirely new<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23747\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23747\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium-plus-size wp-image-23747\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-510x765.jpg\" alt=\"Empress Jit\u014d abdicated to become a daij\u014d tenn\u014d in 697\" width=\"510\" height=\"765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-510x765.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-376x564.jpg 376w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress-390x585.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Empress.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23747\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Empress Jit\u014d abdicated to become a daij\u014d tenn\u014d in 697<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since the 600s, emperors regularly retired and were called cloistered emperors (<em>daij\u014d tenn\u014d<\/em>), a system that usually eliminated messy succession problems. Cloistered emperors advised successors from behind the scenes or served as imperial regents. When drafting Japan\u2019s first modern constitution (post-1868), the Meiji Emperor wanted to include an option for retirement to the position of <em>daij\u014d tenn\u014d<\/em>, but the Prime Minister at the time thought the emperor should be above petty politics and the allowance for abdication was not included.<\/p>\n<p>Some argue this created a rift between military, government and imperialists, leading to Japanese fascism in WWII with the military gaining influence over the government and the emperor becoming a chess piece. While this may be true, being a product of his time and having no constitutional escape mechanism, Emperor Hirohito was probably complicit.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">3. Ancient rules are quietly changing<\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 512px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/cf\/Emperor_Akihito_cropped_Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_20090715_2.jpg\/512px-Emperor_Akihito_cropped_Emperor_Akihito_and_Empress_Michiko_20090715_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"697\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Emperor Akihito will now be known as J\u014dk\u014d \/ \u00a9 US Marine Corps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Daij\u014d tenn\u014d<\/em> can be abbreviated to <em>j\u014dk\u014d<\/em>. The Imperial Household Agency announced after abdication, with no explanation, that Akihito will be called <em>j\u014dk\u014d<\/em> \u2013 completely ignoring the ancient term<em> daij\u014d tenn\u014d<\/em>. Some speculate this is to detach the current imperial family from the Empire of Japan and the use of their name and symbolism by ultra-right-wing nationalists.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">4. Reigning names are a \u2018new\u2019 thing<\/h2>\n<p>Before 1868, era names changed frequently and had nothing to do with imperial reign. Emperors chose the names, often with the help of a hand-selected team of intellectuals from the Kyoto court and the Edo court (Tokyo). If there was a pestilence, natural disaster or new military victory, new era names were established. The Edo Period (1600-1868), the most stable and peaceful stretch of Japanese history, had 37 unique eras.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">5. Hirohito who?<\/h2>\n<p>If you say names like Hirohito or Akihito to Japanese people, don\u2019t be surprised if they don\u2019t know who you\u2019re talking about. Technically, post-1868 era names are posthumous, and there\u2019s a taboo against using this posthumous name while the emperor is alive. While on the chrysanthemum throne, he is referred to as \u201cthe current emperor\u201d or \u201cthe reigning emperor\u201d. After his death, he will be called the Heisei Emperor (or Emperor Heisei \u2013 this difference only exists outside of Japan where he is simply Heisei Tenn\u014d).<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">6. There is no chrysanthemum throne<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of the \u201cchrysanthemum throne\u201d, there\u2019s no actual chrysanthemum throne, this is just a literary term that gets bandied about in the English-speaking world. If you translated the phrase into Japanese, nobody would know what you\u2019re talking about. However, people immediately recognise <em>kiku no go-mon<\/em> (the chrysanthemum crest) &#8211; the imperial family\u2019s coat of arms. If the emperor wears traditional courtly garb, he will be depicted in the traditional Japanese style: seated on the tatami mat floor.<\/p>\n<p>I try to keep my blogs short and sweet but there\u2019s a lot to unpack with this imperial abdication. When you visit Japan, you\u2019ll know more than the average person &#8211; you might even have a little fun asking people how they spent their unprecedented 10 days off!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Join one of our expert tour leaders to discover Japan&#8217;s culture in style on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japan-small-group-tours\/i-je\/japan-enchantment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Japan Enchantment<\/a> Small Group Tour, or explore ancient sites and historical districts independently on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-tjc\/traditional-japan\/\">Traditional Japan<\/a> Self-Guided Adventure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-14519\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"Kanazawa - Nomura Samurai House (16)\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kanazawa-Nomura-Samurai-House-16-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! With a flurry of excitement around the emperor abdication, tour leader Mark Hobold explains what is it that makes the new Reiwa era is so momentous. Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2367],"tags":[4237,4240,4243],"class_list":["post-23705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-culture-and-history","tag-emperor-abdication","tag-japanese-emperor-2019","tag-emperor-akihito"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23705"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23753,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23705\/revisions\/23753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}