--- description: Officials say that Reiwa, the name of the country's new imperial era, means "beautiful harmony" and not "command" as many have claimed. title: Japan Attempts to Clear Up Controversy Over New Imperial Era image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04cb21968045e653/698947cb09208f8aa74139a2/japan-new-era-reiwa-frame.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Japan](/tag/japan/) ## Japan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Japan Says the Name of Its New Imperial Era Means 'Beautiful Harmony' Not 'Command' by [Hillary Leung](/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 4, 2019 4:43 AM CUT  A woman holds a packed t-shirt with the name of Japan's next imperial era 'Reiwa' in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan, on April 1, 2019. A woman holds a packed t-shirt with the name of Japan's next imperial era 'Reiwa' in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan, on April 1, 2019.Tomohiro Ohsumi—Getty Images by [Hillary Leung](/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 4, 2019 4:43 AM CUT Japan’s Foreign Ministry says that _Reiwa_, the name of the country’s new imperial era, means [“beautiful harmony”](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/03/national/japan-assures-world-reiwa-beautiful-harmony-nothing-command/#.XKVxg-szaL4 "undefined") and not “command” or “order” as many have suggested. “We felt the need to let the world know that nobody (in the government) thinks like that,” Hiroatsu Satake, a foreign ministry official, told the _Japan Times_ after a controversy broke out over the name [announced](http://time.com/5561811/japan-emperor-naruhito-new-era/ "undefined") earlier this week. > [](https://twitter.com/MofaJapan%5Fen/status/1112665625451585539) Social media users were quick [to point out](https://twitter.com/akokitamura/status/1112554704347619328 "undefined") that while the second character could be translated as “peace,” the first, _rei_, had the opposite connotation, suggesting strict command or control. Militarism is a sensitive topic in Japan, which passed reforms in 2015 to [expand the role of its defense forces](http://time.com/4047863/the-world-doesnt-have-to-fear-japan/ "undefined") despite vehement protests inside and outside the legislature. “If you look up \[_rei_\] in dictionaries, I believe a meaning like this does show up, but it has multiple other meanings too,” Satake told the _Times_, referring to the [lesser known interpretation](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-emperor-calendar/whats-in-a-name-japan-debates-meaning-of-new-reiwa-imperial-era-idUSKCN1RE0KW "undefined") of _rei_ as “good” or “beautiful.” The names of imperial eras, called _gengo_, are widely used in Japan and feature on currency and official documents. The country’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said earlier that the name Reiwa was inspired by the 7th century poetry collection _Manyoshu_, where _rei_ appears in the word _reigetsu_—an auspicious month—in a poem that describes an early spring breeze. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe [elaborated](http://japan.kantei.go.jp/98%5Fabe/statement/201904/%5F00001.html "undefined") on the name in a statement: “In this auspicious month of early spring, the weather is fine and the wind gentle.” The Reiwa era will begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito takes the throne and Emperor Akihito steps down, marking the end of his 30-year Heisei era. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5564063/japan-imperial-era-reiwa-naruhito-meaning/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5564063/japan-imperial-era-reiwa-naruhito-meaning/"},"headline":"Japan Says the Name of Its New Imperial Era Means 'Beautiful Harmony' Not 'Command'","datePublished":"2019-04-04T04:43:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T23:13:03.317Z","description":"The Reiwa Era begins on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito takes the throne","url":"https://time.com/5564063/japan-imperial-era-reiwa-naruhito-meaning/","keywords":["Japan","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04cb21968045e653/698947cb09208f8aa74139a2/japan-new-era-reiwa-frame.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Hillary Leung","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/hillary-leung/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04cb21968045e653/698947cb09208f8aa74139a2/japan-new-era-reiwa-frame.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"japan-new-era-reiwa-frame.jpg","caption":"Japan Unveils The Name Of The New Royal Era","creditText":"Tomohiro Ohsumi—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/japan/","name":"Japan"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5564063/japan-imperial-era-reiwa-naruhito-meaning/","name":"Japan Says the Name of Its New Imperial Era Means 'Beautiful Harmony' Not 'Command'"}}]}] ```