Emperor and empress struggling with roles as pandemic forces trips' cancellation
The imperial couple's outings have mostly been to and from the Imperial Palace recently, with all of their key regular domestic trips canceled this year.
Emperor Naruhito upholds tradition and searches for role in first year of reign
The imperial couple have been receiving updates on the virus crisis from medical experts, including a private lecture at the palace on April 10.
Crown prince proclamation ceremonies postponed amid outbreak
The government said Tuesday it has postponed this month's ceremonies to celebrate Crown Prince Akishino's ascent to first in line to the chrysanthemum throne amid the new coronavirus outbreak. The Rikkoshi no Rei ceremonies, originally scheduled for Sunday, are intended to proclaim the 54-year-old crown ...
Japan considers postponing ceremonies for Crown Prince Akishino
The government is considering to postpone this month's Rikkoshi no Rei ceremonies, meant to proclaim Crown Prince Akishino's rise to first in line to the throne, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday. The possible delay comes ...
'The Japanese Linguistic Landscape': Essays on language by the man behind 'Reiwa'
For the student lost in the midst of memorizing kanji, it's easy to forget that languages are molded not just by the sharp corners of reality but also by the careful caressing of poets. What a joy it is then to have this window ...
Government asked that new imperial name come from 'Manyoshu' just nine days before announcement
The government asked the literary scholar who proposed "Reiwa" as the current era name to come up with a candidate from the "Manyoshu," Japan's oldest known poetry anthology, just nine days before the name was to be announced, according to sources. The sources also said ...
The Reiwa Daijosai: Pomp, circumstance and litigation
The separation of church and state in Japan comes under scrutiny in the new era. However, we've been down this road before.
Japanese media pundits deliver their verdicts on 2019's hit products
While consumers may take ownership of certain products for granted, there's something reaffirming about acquiring a product that's been designated a hit, and my experiences over the years tell me Japanese aren't especially different from other nationalities in this regard. The origin of Japan's own ...
The largest-ever gathering of traditional Japanese artists in Sydney performed together on Monday in celebration of the new imperial era, Reiwa, at the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House. All proceeds from the "Japan Spectacular" performance were donated to a charity called the Japan Club of ...
Rei (令), first character of Reiwa era name, picked as Japan's kanji of the year
The character "rei" (令) — as used in the era name of Reiwa, which has been translated to mean "beautiful harmony" — was chosen as kanji of the year, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced Thursday. The character garnered 30,427 votes, the largest share ...
Is hope really on the horizon in Japan?
A series of external and internal challenges await the nation, and the years ahead looking anything but hopeful.
Japan Post begins sales of Reiwa's first New Year's postcards
Japan Post Co. began selling the first New Year's lottery postcards of the Reiwa Era on Friday. A ceremony for the 2020 nengajō (New Year's greeting cards) was held at JP Tower in Tokyo's Marunouchi district. At the event, Toshiaki Hirose, a former member of the ...
