section_path: History/Era Names (gengō)
section_name: Era Names (gengō)
paragraph_text: Era Names (gengō)
  
  The era name (元号, gengō) system was also introduced from China, and has been in continuous use since AD 701. The reigning Emperor chooses the name associated with their regnal eras; before 1868, multiple names were chosen throughout the same emperor's rule, such as to commemorate a major event. For instance, the Emperor Kōmei 's reign (1846–1867) was split into seven eras, one of which lasted only one year. Starting with Kōmei's son the Emperor Meiji in 1868, there has only been one gengō per emperor representing their entire reign.
  
  The nengō system remains in wide use, especially on official documents and government forms. It is also in general use in private and personal business.
  
  The present era, Reiwa, formally began on 1 May 2019. The name of the new era was announced by the Japanese government on 1 April 2019, a month prior to Naruhito 's accession to the throne. The previous era, Heisei, came to an end on 30 April 2019, after Japan's former emperor, Akihito, abdicated the throne. Reiwa is the first era name whose characters come from a Japanese root source; prior eras' names were taken from Chinese classic literature.