May 1, 2019, Tokyo, Japan: As Japan entered the Reiwa Era, the Takashimaya Department Store celebrated the new era by displaying a calligraphy work of the kanji characters Reiwa. Brushed by popular Japanese shodo artist Soun Takeda, this was on display at the entrance of their Shinjuku store. As Japanese Emperor Akihito abdicated the Chrysanthemum Throne, this brought an end to the Heisei Era (Jan. 8, 1989 to Apr. 30, 2019). The new era called 'Reiwa" began May 1, 2019 when Crown Prince Naruhito ascended the throne. The two kanji characters "'rei" and "wa" can be translated as either "fortunate harmony" or "peace in harmony" and were taken from a stanza about plum blossoms in Man’yoshu, a collection of Japanese poetry written sometime after 759. Japanese calendars years are based upon the reigns of it's emperor's.