Japan is now in the era of Reiwa which means “beautiful harmony.” Emperor Naruhito takes over the throne Wednesday, after his father – Akihito – abdicated due to his age and failing health.

Since World War II, the position has lost power but the emperor is still a revered figure in the country, which names the reigns of its emperor as eras – a millennial tradition that has its roots in China. Although Japan uses the Gregorian calendar, the era appears on coins, official paperwork and even on driver’s licenses.

For the first time, the name was not taken from Chinese literature, but from a Japanese poem. That, along with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire for stronger defense forces, raised concerns that the country would take a more nationalistic turn.

To discuss:

• Yoshikazu Kato is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Hong Kong.
• Sourabh Gupta is a resident senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies.
• Hiroki Takeuchi is an associate professor of political science at Southern Methodist University.
• Qinduo Xu is a senior fellow at Pangoal Institution.

For more:

What makes this time different from previous era-changes is that the transition is not due to the death of the previous monarch. Instead of greeting the new era amid an atmosphere of mourning, the Reiwa era will be a celebration.https://t.co/MLS4kTZipZ

— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) April 26, 2019

Japan’s new era name comes from ancient Japanese book "Manyoshu" #Reiwa #新年号 #令和 https://t.co/vOtYzQTdLb

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) April 1, 2019