'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 ...
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 ...
'Tensho' was leading candidate for Japan's new era name before selection of 'Reiwa': sources
‘Tensho’ was the leading choice of experts for the new imperial era name before the submission of ‘Reiwa,’ sources say.
New era aside, Showa nostalgia continues to keep rolling along
The new Reiwa Era is now into its third month and histories are starting to appear about the Heisei Era that preceded it. In late June, the publishing arm of the Mainichi Shimbun released a 384-page softcover book titled "Heisei-shi Zenkiroku" ("Chronicle 1989-2019"). The ...
Japan Mint began producing ¥500 and ¥100 coins Thursday stamped with the year of issue as "Reiwa one," following the start of the new imperial era on May 1. Five-hundred-yen coins, inscribed with Chinese characters reading "Reiwa gannen" and with milled edges, were discharged from ...
The Showa Era is growing distant
University students seem less concerned about war on the Korean Peninsula than their 1970s counterparts even though the chance of conflict is greater.
A Kochi astronomer has named the asteroid he found three decades ago after Reiwa, the name of the Japan's new era. On May 5, Tsutomu Seki, 88, made a proposal to the International Astronomical Union to call the asteroid he found in the west of ...
