Japan’s Heisei era followed 1980s boom and was marred by economic downturn, terrorism and devastating natural disasters
- Heisei era began in early 1989, just before the collapse of Japan’s ‘bubble economy’, when sky-high stock and land prices plunged
- Decades of tepid growth and deflation that followed have tempered expectations about the economic future and Japan’s place in the world
More than anything, people said they hoped peace would define the reign of Crown Prince Naruhito, who will become emperor on Wednesday, ushering in the Reiwa era.
“Heisei had a lot of disasters and the economy stagnated,” 47-year-old Kaori Hisatomi said in the capital Tokyo, where ceremonies were underway at the Imperial Palace. “It was a period of transition from the high-growth era, with its ‘can-you-work-24 hours’ mentality. Young people these days don’t think that way. Now it’s more: ‘What can I do to survive?’”
Japan’s Emperor Akihito begins abdication rituals as a nation pays tribute
Japan is marking the transition to 59-year-old Naruhito, who will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday, with an unprecedented 10-day holiday.
The Heisei era began in early 1989, just before the collapse of Japan’s “bubble economy,” when sky-high stock and land prices plunged. The decades of tepid growth and deflation that followed have tempered expectations about the economic future and Japan’s place in the world.
“Thinking patterns have changed,” Hisatomi said. “There’s not much confidence the economy will grow in a healthy way.”
Eiji Kaneko, 44, an Osaka restaurant owner visiting Tokyo, also noted the way Japan had changed under Akihito.
“It’s a turning point,” he said. “Heisei came at a time when I was looking for a job. I’m part of the second baby boom, and competition for jobs was intense then. I decided to quit university after two years and start a cafe. Now I’ve got 12 restaurants and also some real estate business.
“Now Japan is facing a shrinking population, which is going to be tough. But as the number of Japanese decline, I wonder if we won’t be happier. More foreigners are coming to Japan, and that’s helping the economy and starting to change attitudes. Japan is opening up, and Asia is opening up.”
Japan suffered several tragedies in the past three decades, including a huge earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that led to a nuclear crisis. In 1995, a quake devastated the port of Kobe, and sarin attacks launched by a cult in Tokyo’s subway system shattered the myth of public safety.
Visits to disaster areas by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and their efforts to connect with ordinary people, have made them a popular royal couple.
Standing outside the Imperial Palace in a drizzle, 64-year-old Naoomi Kuroshima, from the northern island of Hokkaido, said he was there to “pay my last respect, to say my ‘thank you’”. He recalled the couple’s visit to Hokkaido after it was hit by a quake last year and said: “I’m so grateful for that.”
Walking to a Shinto shrine to mark the day with his wife, 56-year-old Masatoshi Kujirai said he had mixed feelings.
“I’m sad but also hopeful about the next era,” he said. “I hope it will be a peaceful, gentle period for the second half of my life.”
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Masato Saito, a 40-year-old construction worker, said he had not given the abdication or the coming new era much thought.
“It’s a normal day. That kind of political stuff is irrelevant to us ordinary people,” he said. “As long as they make our lives easy to live, that’s all I care.”
