Japanese public welcomes "Reiwa" as new era name

The Japanese public largely reacted favorably to Monday's announcement of "Reiwa" as the country's new era name, with many welcoming the use of a character meaning peace, calmness and harmony."I'm glad there is the 'wa' character of 'heiwa' (the Japanese word for peace) included," said Masane Kudaka, a 54-year-old firefighter who was sightseeing at the Imperial Palace having traveled from his hometown of Uruma in Okinawa Prefecture, home to much of the United States' Japan-based military forces and the site of key World War II battlefields.The new era name is comprised of two Chinese charac…READ FULL ARTICLE