Get notified in your email when a new post is published to this blog Typically, calendar eras represent long time periods. In the Gregorian calendar, for example, the current era spans (as of this year) 2,019 years. In the Japanese calendar, however, a new era begins with the reign of a new emperor. On April 30, 2019, Emperor Akihito is expected to abdicate, which will bring to an end the Heisei e