Businesses await new era name to follow emperor's abdication

Dec 02, 2017 | News On Japan

Dec 02, 2017 (Japan Today) - Calendar, diary and fortune-telling businesses are anxiously awaiting the announcement of the name of Japan's next imperial era, as the government said Friday it is expected to begin on May 1, 2019, the day after the emperor abdicates.

In modern Japan, a gengo era name lasts for the length of an emperor's reign and is widely used in calendars and official documents along with the Gregorian calendar. The government is expected to announce the new era name sometime in 2018 to minimize disruption to people's lives.

Ryusho Takashima, chairman of Tokyo-based fortune calendar company Takashima Ekidan, expressed concern about whether his company will be able to publish its products for 2019 on time.

The company publishes four fortune calendars, selling around 200,000 copies each year. As it prints new fortune calendars in April for released around August, a late announcement could affect production, he said.

Takahashi Shoten Co, a major diary company in Tokyo, omitted the era name in most of its mainstay items for 2018. As for products for 2019, it plans to print the new era name if an announcement is made by January, when it begins production.

"Our priority is to avert any confusion," said company executive Takashi Okubo.

The new era name could also affect companies registering trademarks. In January 1989 when the current Heisei era, meaning "achieving peace," began, a monthly record of 118 applications for trademarks bearing the two Chinese characters for Heisei were filed, according to the Japan Patent Office.

Typhoon No. 26 Forms, May Approach Okinawa Next Week

Typhoon No. 26 formed over the sea east of the Philippines at 9 p.m. on September 23 and is expected to strengthen as it moves westward, potentially approaching Okinawa's main island from September 28 with powerful winds.

Japan's Airports and Bullet Trains Packed as Five-Day Holiday Ends

Airports and railway stations across Japan were crowded on September 23 as travelers returned from their hometowns and holiday destinations on the final day of the five-day Silver Week holiday, with international flight arrivals reaching their peak and many afternoon Shinkansen services fully booked.

Asian Games Day 5 Brings Swimming Gold and Gymnastics Drama

Japan's Asian Games campaign produced another day of records and medals on September 23, with Shoon Mitsunaga setting a national record to win the men's 100-meter butterfly, both Japanese gymnastics teams taking silver behind China, and Toshikazu Yamanishi adding to the host nation's athletics medal haul.

Road to Imperial Palace's Otemon Gate Flooded by Typhoon

The road leading to Otemon Gate at Tokyo's Imperial Palace was flooded on September 22 after heavy rain from a typhoon caused water in the surrounding moat to overflow.

Japan Pushes India to Final Ball in Historic Sano Cricket Match

Japan came within two runs of producing one of international cricket's biggest upsets on September 22, pushing reigning T20 world champion India to the final ball before losing a rain-shortened match at Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Body Found on Island May Be Missing 6-Year-Old Boy

Police in Yamagata Prefecture are working to identify a body found on the coast of a remote island on September 23, the 19th day since a 6-year-old boy went missing in Sakata, after discovering that the body was dressed in clothing similar to the Spider-Man outfit the child was wearing when he disappeared.

Escaped Emu Captured After Report of Wandering Ostrich

An emu that escaped from the home of a traveling zoo operator was captured after wandering through a residential neighborhood in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, on September 23, following a police report from a resident who mistook the bird for an ostrich.

Japan's Elderly Population Hits Record 29.6%

People aged 65 and older accounted for a record 29.6% of Japan's population in 2026, the highest proportion among major countries worldwide, while the number of elderly people in employment also reached an all-time high as Japan marked Respect for the Aged Day on September 21.

Emperor and Empress Visit Ghibli Park

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture on September 20, touring exhibits that recreate famous scenes from Studio Ghibli films and posing for a photograph with the character No-Face.

Four Teens Rearrested Over Fatal Assault on 17-Year-Old

Police in Kanagawa Prefecture have rearrested four teenagers on suspicion of murdering a 17-year-old high school student who died after being assaulted in Sagamihara in August.

Why Kansai People Go to Drinking Parties

Drinking parties remain a lively part of social life in Kansai even as younger generations increasingly turn away from alcohol and izakaya bankruptcies rise at a record pace, with customers describing the gatherings less as occasions to drink heavily and more as opportunities to maintain friendships, meet new people and build connections across generations.

'Tokuryu' Criminal Gangs Target Elderly Victims with Refrigerator Trick

Anonymous and fluid criminal groups known in Japan as "tokuryu" are adopting increasingly elaborate tactics, including a scheme in which elderly victims are persuaded to hide cash inside refrigerators before thieves enter their homes, as authorities struggle to combat networks whose members often have no direct contact with one another.

Scam Base Targeting Japanese Run From Lavish Bangkok Mansion

A luxury mansion in Bangkok described as resembling a palace was being used as a base for a specialized fraud operation targeting Japanese people, with Thai authorities detaining 14 people, including four Japanese men.

< 2 3 4 5 >