Commentary / Japan May 20, 2019
The Showa Era is growing distant
by Kuni Miyake
University students seem less concerned about war on the Korean Peninsula than their 1970s counterparts even though the chance of conflict is greater.
NEWSWORTHY
National / Science & Health May 14, 2019
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 ...
National May 13, 2019
Turtle-shell divination conducted at Imperial Palace in Tokyo ahead of key succession rite
The ceremony selects Tochigi and Kyoto prefectures to provide the rice for the upcoming Daijosai offering ceremony in mid-November.
Style & Design May 12, 2019
Can a new era prepare Japanese style to let go of Heisei trends?
by Samuel Thomas
It's early days of Reiwa, but so far, Japan's fashion industry looks set to continue playing it safe in the new era.
National May 12, 2019
Reiwa calligraphy to be stored at National Archives, made available for commercial use
The government plans to preserve the original calligraphic work Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga displayed when announcing the new era name of Reiwa at the National Archives of Japan, according to government sources. The archived material will be made public from the spring of 2021. ...
National May 8, 2019
In first palace ritual of his reign, Japan's emperor reports enthronement plans to his ancestors
Emperor Naruhito performed his first formal ritual within the Imperial Palace on Wednesday following his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne last week, ceremonially reporting to his ancestors that he will take part in major enthronement rites this fall. The emperor read out a statement at ...
National May 7, 2019
Back to the grind: Workers in Japan return after extended Golden Week holiday
The nation went back to work following this year's unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday on Tuesday — the first working day of the Reiwa Era. Naoto Tokunaga, 24, showed up at his office near Tokyo Station 30 minutes earlier than usual because he was impatient ...
National May 5, 2019
Number of children in Japan declined by a third during Heisei Era
The number of kids under 15 was estimated at 15.33 million as of April 1, down 180,000 from a year before and the lowest since 1950.
Music May 2, 2019
Heisei offered a number of lessons J-pop artists should learn from going into the Reiwa Era
by Patrick St. Michel
The past year in Japanese pop has felt like one big musical revue devoted to the Heisei Era (1989-2019), with TV shows reflecting on the biggest hits of that period. Now that Reiwa has finally started, the cultural discourse can turn to figuring out ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball May 1, 2019
Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano opens Reiwa Era in NPB with complete-game victory over Dragons
Tomoyuki Sugano lost his bid for the first shutout of Japan's new imperial era but still managed to go the distance as the Yomiuri Giants beat the Chunichi Dragons 5-1 in the Central League on Wednesday afternoon. On the first day of action in Japan's ...
National May 1, 2019
No major system failures reported due to shift to new Japan era: Yoshihide Suga
There have been no reports of major system failures from the public or private sectors as a result of the change from Heisei to Reiwa, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday. All sectors are required to report immediately to the Cabinet Secretariat if any ...
National May 1, 2019
Controversy over separation of state and religion in Japan rekindled after Shinto imperial rite
As Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne Wednesday, a key imperial succession ritual related to Shinto rekindled controversy over the separation of state and religion, which is stipulated in the Constitution. Shinto is a Japanese religion in which the emperor is venerated as a descendant ...