End of an era: Emperor’s abdication next year will reset Japan calendar

The abdication of Japan's Emperor Akihito next year will be quite literally the end of an era, the Heisei era of his rule, and behind closed doors, talks on the next era have begun. Japan is the only country in the world still using Chinese-style imperial calendars. It might be 2018 in much of the world, but in Japan, it is Heisei 30, or 30 years into Akihito's reign. While the Gregorian calendar is widely used in Japan, imperial dates feature on government documents, newspapers, and commercial calendars. "It is easier to imagine what the time was like if you have eras," said Kunio Kowaguchi, president of major calendar maker Todan. "For instance, we remember it was early Hei...

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