The government is considering delaying the announcement of the name of the nation's next era — or gengo — until February or later, giving up its initial plan to quickly deal with concerns over the name change, a government source said Tuesday.
The announcement of the era name to be used when Crown Prince Naruhito succeeds to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019, will likely come after the ceremony to mark the 30th year of Emperor Akihito's reign, which will be held on Feb. 24 the same year, the source said.
The arrangement is expected to help address concerns that unveiling the name before the Emperor's 30-year ceremony would create a situation of dual authority between the old and new emperors, the source said.