Name of Japan’s next era to be announced around noon on Monday

March 28, 2019

Tokyo--The Japanese government is considering announcing the name of the country's next era, which will succeed the current Heisei, around noon on Monday (3 a.m. GMT), informed sources said Wednesday.

On Monday, a series of procedures related to the selection of the new era name will start in the morning and last for up to about two hours and 20 minutes, according to the sources.

Firstly, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga will present around three era name candidates at a meeting of a relevant panel of experts and to the heads and deputy heads of both chambers of the Diet, Japan's parliament, and seek their opinions.

Next, all cabinet ministers will have a meeting and narrow down the candidates to one, and then a cabinet meeting will be held to adopt an ordinance to formalize the new era name.

Immediately afterward, Suga will announce the new era name at a news conference, to be held around noon. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also release a statement on the name of the next era.

The government plans to decide the string of procedures on Friday.

Also on Friday, Abe is expected to meet with Crown Prince Naruhito to brief him on era name candidates and Monday's proceedings, according to the sources.

The new era is scheduled to start on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito assumes the throne, following the abdication of current Emperor Akihito, the father of the Crown Prince, on April 30.

The government believes that planned briefing to the Crown Prince would not violate Article 4 of the constitution, which bans an emperor's involvement in politics.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Suga said that the new era name "will be decided with the cabinet's responsibility, based on the era name law."

The current Emperor and Crown Prince will be notified of the formalized era name right before the announcement by Suga on Monday. If the formalized name is reported by media before the announcement, the government will not hesitate to pick a difference name for the next era, according to the sources.

Soon after the announcement, an official in charge at the Cabinet Secretariat is slated to give journalists explanations about the process related to the selection of the new era name.Jiji Press