The year is fading fast, and in Japan, everyone is rushing around busily doing the things they need to get done before December 31st, including cleaning homes and businesses (J-List did our ‘big cleaning’ yesterday), rushing to mail New Year’s cards, and buying the New Year’s decorations to celebrate 2019 properly. (2019 is the Year of the Boar so there are lots of related decorations.)
While every ending year can make us wistful about the past, 2018 represents the actual end of an era for Japan. Japan organizes its history into Imperial eras representing the reign of each Emperor going back 2500 years, usually stating years in this system rather than in seireki (the Western calendar). The Showa Era (“Period of Radiant Japan”) covered the long reign of Hirohito from 1925 to 1989 and encompassed the Great Depression, the sadness of war and defeat, and the economic miracle of postwar Japan. When Hirohito died, his son Akihito ascended, beginning the current Heisei Era (literally, “Period of Having Achieved Peace and Maturity”). Since I came to Japan in Heisei 3 (1991), my experience in Japan has closely followed this era.
But it’s the end of an era in Japan, as the current Emperor will abdicate on April 30 of next year, which will begin a new period with a new Emperor, Naruhito, succeeding. The name of the new era isn’t announced yet, but when it is, 2019 will become the first year of that new era.
We’ve all seen much in the Heisei period, including…
- The bursting of the massive asset bubble and back-to-back “lost decades” in the Japanese economy, as Japan provided the perfect example of how not to handle a financial crisis.
- Silly booms like Tamagotchi virtual pets that took the world by storm.
- The arrival of the Internet, which opened Japan culturally in ways unthinkable before.
- The true rise of anime as a true global subculture, with the explosion of Sailor Moon and Evangelion, and defining the age of the otaku. The worldwide explosion of doujinshi and cosplay.
- The “Heisei Eras” of legendary series like Kamen Rider, Ultraman and Godzilla.
- Terrible nerve gas attacks and other murders by a doomsday cult called Aum Shinrikyo that left 20 dead and much more seriously injured. Last year all members including founder Shoko Asahara were executed by the Japanese government.
- Lots of great music, from the era of the “Komuro Family” when every top band was produced by star producer Tetsuya Komuro to the current era of massive idol groups with 48+ members all dancing on stage at the same time.
- Crazy fashion trends, like when tanned Okinawan singer Namie Amuro became so popular, an entire generation of girls started imitating everything about her. That tradition eventually morphed into the current gyaru boom.
- Ongoing revolutions in SNS (“social network systems”) like Twitter and Line, and the current explosion in インスタ映え (insuta-bae), or obsessively photographing everything for posting to Instagram.
What will the new Imperial era be called, and what will it hold for us all? No one knows that yet. Will we all someday look back with fondness on the Heisei Era like we do for the Showa Era? I guarantee it.
It’s our favorite time of the month, when the gorgeous new anime magazines drop, giving us lots of awesome items to show you this weekend. The new magazines, especially Megami Magazine, are loaded with quality posters for your wall. Browse all the new anime magazines in stock right now!
