What does Reiwa mean?

The two characters suggest auspicious calm and harmony; the government's official English gloss is beautiful harmony. The name comes from a plum blossom preface in the Man'yōshū, Japan's oldest poetry anthology.

Why do era names matter for goshuin?

The date on a goshuin is written in the era calendar, so every stamp records the Reiwa year of your visit. Stamps from the first days of a new era become instant keepsakes and draw long queues.

How did temples and shrines adapt during the pandemic?

Many limited entry, streamed ceremonies online, and offered prayers or goshuin by mail. Most services have returned to normal, and some of the digital offerings have remained as a convenience.

Reiwa era

Historical periods

令和時代・ Reading: Reiwa jidai

Definition

The current era, which began on 1 May 2019 with the accession of Emperor Naruhito. Its name, often rendered as beautiful harmony, is the first era name drawn from a Japanese classic, the Man'yōshū poetry anthology.

A new era name from an old anthology

Reiwa began on 1 May 2019 after Emperor Akihito's historic abdication. For the first time, the era name was taken from a Japanese classic rather than a Chinese one: a preface about plum blossoms in the eighth-century Man'yōshū poetry anthology. The government renders the meaning in English as beautiful harmony. Era names still matter in daily life, appearing on coins, documents, and the hand-dated goshuin in your book, and the change set off celebrations and long lines for first-day-of-Reiwa stamps.

Shrines and temples now

The era's first years were tested by the COVID-19 pandemic, when temples and shrines limited visits, moved festivals online, and even offered remote prayers and mailed goshuin. Visiting has since rebounded together with record inbound tourism, and the goshuin culture keeps evolving with artistic, seasonal, and collaborative designs. Sacred sites now balance crowds, preservation, and living faith, which is exactly the world a modern pilgrim with a goshuinchō steps into today.

Common questions

What does Reiwa mean?: The two characters suggest auspicious calm and harmony; the government's official English gloss is beautiful harmony. The name comes from a plum blossom preface in the Man'yōshū, Japan's oldest poetry anthology.
Why do era names matter for goshuin?: The date on a goshuin is written in the era calendar, so every stamp records the Reiwa year of your visit. Stamps from the first days of a new era become instant keepsakes and draw long queues.
How did temples and shrines adapt during the pandemic?: Many limited entry, streamed ceremonies online, and offered prayers or goshuin by mail. Most services have returned to normal, and some of the digital offerings have remained as a convenience.