MNI: Japan's New Era Name "Reiwa"; To Start on May 1

     TOKYO (Kyodo) - The name of Japan's new era, set to start on May 1, is

"Reiwa," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday.

     The change will come into force as Crown Prince Naruhito succeeds his

father Emperor Akihito to the throne as head of state, after the latter's

expected abdication on April 30.

     A gengo -- a named era -- is used for the length of an emperor's reign and

a change of era is an important event as it is used in minting coins and

producing calendars and official documents among other purposes, although the

Gregorian calendar is also widely used in Japan.

     Foreign Minister Taro Kono has said the government will notify 195

countries as well as international organizations of the decision through

diplomatic missions at home and abroad and other means.

     The 85-year-old emperor expressed his wish to retire in a rare video

message in 2016, citing his concern that he might not be able to fulfil his

official duties due to his advanced age. In the following year, the Diet enacted

one-off legislation to enable him to abdicate -- the first Japanese monarch to

do so in around 200 years.

     In 1989, when Japan last changed its era name after the death of Emperor

Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, then Chief Cabinet Secretary

Keizo Obuchi, who later served as prime minister, held up a calligraphy work

showing the two Chinese characters making up the name Heisei and read out then

Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita's statement.

--MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-2175-0040; email: hiroshi.inoue@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: MAJDS$,M$A$$$,M$J$$$,MC$$$$]