Starting Afresh －最初からやり直すこと－

Today is the first day of the Reiwa Era in Japan.  I used to dislike the Japanese custom of giving a period of time a unique era name, and changing the name whenever the emperor changes.  I disliked it because it caused problems for me in places such as banks and hospitals.  Whenever I had to write down my birth date, I couldn’t remember which era I had been born in.  The staff also had difficulty working it out from the Western style date I gave them.

But I have started to like the custom a little more.  There’s something positive about changing name.  It’s a little like saying, “Let’s put all our troubles and difficulties in the past and start afresh.”

After the French Revolution, the new government tried to sweep away loyalties to the kings and religious figures of the past by making a new calendar and starting from Year 1.  The calendar remained in use for about 12 years until Napoleon switched back to the old one.

Like a French Revolutionary, why not ignore the rest of the world and live in your own era?  Buy a calendar and cross out 2019 and replace it with your own inspiring name – Year of Diligent Study, or Year of Eating Well, or Year of Definitely Getting a Girlfriend.  Then every day you will be reminded to act positively towards your goal, not be stuck in the failed ideas of the past.

Happy new era.  It’s not every day that we get the chance to start afresh from Year 1.

Vocabulary:

to sweep something away – to quickly and completely get rid of something old

diligent – showing care in your work or duties