Heisei Ends in March 2019

Asahi Shimbun released a breaking news on Friday that indicated abdication of Emperor Akihito would be held at the end of March, 2019, and new Emperor would take the throne next day, April 1^st. Although the government of Japan had been considering two options for the abdication, one of which was at the end of 2018, it seemed to have chosen another one to avoid official rituals in yearend and new year days. Heisei era will end on March 31^st, 2019.

Asahi reported it based on information from multiple sources in Prime Minister’s Official Residence. The government will hold Imperial House Conference after the election of House of Representatives and special session of the Diet to elect Prime Minister convoked in November. Attended by Prime Minister, Speakers of both Houses, Chief Justice of Supreme Court and Imperial families, the conference will officially decide the day of abdication by a governmental ordinance.

Emperor Akihito revealed his hope to retire at the end of 2018 in his TV address last summer, saying “Having passed a major turning point of 70^th anniversary of the end of World War II, I am reaching 30^th year of Heisei Era.” While abdication at yearend will have less impact on ordinary life of the people, because renewal of system will be easy, there will be a major ceremony of 30^th anniversary of passing away of late Emperor Hirohito on January 7^th, 2019. Imperial Household Agency has been reluctant to have the abdication in yearend.

The biggest issue should be the name of new era. At the end of Showa, the government held a meeting for the name of era right after the death of Emperor Hirohito in the morning of January 7^th, 1989. Eight experts on the issue made some proposal and they picked Heisei. Then Chief Cabinet Secretary, Keizo Obuchi, announced the name of new era only eight hours later than the death of Hirohito.

There already are some proposals in the government, which were submitted by scholars in Chinese classics, Japanese literature or Oriental history. Prime Minister’s Official Residence and Cabinet Office will make secret selection from the list. It is expected that the name of new era will be announced as soon as next spring or summer.

The name of new era will be the 248^th one, since the first name was decided at the time of Taika Reform in 645. Abdication of Japanese Emperor will be the first case after the last one by Kokaku Emperor two hundred years ago. After the abdication of Akihito, Crown Prince Narihito will take the throne and his younger brother, Fumihito, will be at the first place in the list of the successors followed by his son, Hisahito.