19/05/2019

We are in the half of the second quarter of 2019. But we continually have news on the complexity of the China/US trade war, it seems that we have found no exclusive and full perspective on Brexit. Furthermore, we had news coverage on hundreds of worshippers died when the bombing attack took place inside the church on the resurrection Sunday in Sri Lanka, and we have the ongoing tension between Iran and the US. It may deem wise for us not to follow the world news at all, probably including some of the local news. If what it says that the news of today is the history of tomorrow, then I would indulge myself in savouring the story on Emperor Akihito’s abdication and in reflection on the use 令和 (Reiwa) to mark the new era of Japan.

I regret that I was only able to watch Part 3 of the NHK documentary on Emperor Akihito. It starts from when he was a youth, an American private tutor was acredited with being the one to open his eyes to see the world outside of Japan. His school days on formal education both in UK and in America. Later, he met the love of his life at the tennis court in Karuizawa, Japan. It was revolutionary for an Emperor in transition wanting to marry a commoner as a wife. Finally, the captivating Royal Wedding, and later, they both agreed and insisted actively to raise their children on their own.

After being the symbol of the state for 30-years, the 85-year old Emperor Aikihito finally had the permission to adbicate. He is the first Japanese Emperor to stand down in more than 200 years. The Emperor has known as a staunch pacist and he travelled extensively making efforts to reach out Japan’s fomer enemies and victims to mend the wounded nations. During his ground breaking Royal visit to Bejing in 1992, he openly shared how much he had admired the Chinese cultural and what were the Chinese Classical literatures he read. And in his speach, he openly shared his deep heart-felt remorse for the scars inflicted the Chinese people under his father during the war.

Unlike most of the Japanese politicians, the Emperor and Empress Michiko did no emperor had ever done before. It was after the 2011 disaster, people were camped on the floor only with a few personal belongings next to them. They had left almost everything behind, in a hurry, didn’t know when they would be able to return to their hometowns. The Royal couple arrived at an evacuation center, knelt on the ground with each affected family and softly spoke directly to his people in front of a TV camera. He was an Emperor with compassion and wanted to be the emperor close to his people. He would always be remembered for his loving kindness.

As to why the emperor chose to abdicate, in his own statement in 2016, that he feared his age would make it difficult for him to carry his duties, and strongly hinted that he wanted to step down. The polls showed that most people sympathised with him, and in 2017, parliament enacted the law that made it possible for him to abdicate. The emperor’s ‘apology diplomacy‘ as is pacifism is no more in vogue. The current prime minster, Shinzo Abe and others the ‘right,’ the ultra-nationalistic group of people want to bring back patriotic education, and make no secret of wanting a remilitarised Japan.

令和 (Reiwa), which is the name of the new Japanese era. I was intrigued to learn from the documentary, that they derived the two characters from the book of 中庸 (Zhōngyōng), which is the Book of Mean. The doctrine of Mean is a core value of Confucianism. The simpliest way to put it would be ‘to act middle.’ It also says that in all words and deeds one must be firmly entreched to moderation. The Japanese must know the word 令 reads (Ling) in Chinese, which can be a noun or a verb such as ‘order,”cause,”allow, ”expand,”spread out, and ‘ream. ‘ A new era called Reiwa, meaning ‘Order and Harmony’ to mark the new Japanese calendar.

I have to say that even for the Part 3 of the documentary that merits a few of replays, simply because I was personally mesmerised by the togetherness of the Royal Couple in all of their public appearances and their Royal visits. Empress Michiko has never failed to be the exemplary of a submissive wife with her forever gracious, elegant body language. I was moved by the end of the abdication ceremony, the Emperor suddenly turned back not to look at the people in the room but to look at his wife and help her to leave the room. That’s a legendary look and it’s a revolutionary look at the end.

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