The new Imperial Era is here, as Japan prepares to bid farewell to the sitting Emperor Akihoto and hello to his son, Naruhito, an abdication that will officially take place on April 30. This ends the Heisei Era, which probably contained all the anime and video games you ever loved — unless you’re a jaded old Showa Era dude, like myself — and rings in the Reiwa Era, which received its official name on Monday.
This caused a flurry of activity as computer software makers pushed out updates to support the new Reiwa Era name and individual Japanese struggle to enter the characters into their cell phones and computers so it will come up automatically.
Now that we know what the first official Reiwa Era meme will be, thanks to Twitter users who predictably had fun with pictures of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga holding up a Photoshop-able sign.
Reiwa Era pancakes, yum!
