Originally published on July 8, 2019.
Through a special dialogue in the August issue of Hanada between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Sakurai Yoshiko, this essay portrays the historical meaning contained in the establishment of the new era name “Reiwa,” the abdication of the Emperor Emeritus, the enthronement of the current Emperor, and President Trump’s visit to Japan as the first state guest of the new era.
It brings out, through Prime Minister Abe’s own words, the force of Japanese identity, the significance of the Manyoshu, the tradition of the Imperial House, and the power of Japanese culture as expressed in grand sumo.

2019-07-08
The more globalization advances, the more people seem to turn their thoughts toward their own identity, asking, “Who are we?”
The following is from the special dialogue article between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Sakurai Yoshiko, published in the August issue of Hanada under the title, “Prime Minister Abe Speaks at Length.
Questions for The Asahi Shimbun and the Irresponsible Opposition.”
The Nation Shared a Historic Moment.
Sakurai.
Following the decision on the new era name “Reiwa,” the abdication of the Emperor Emeritus and the enthronement of the current Emperor were carried out without incident.
I feel that achieving the success of such major national events with a preparation period of less than just three years was something that no ordinary cabinet could have accomplished.
I imagine there must have been a truly great variety of hardships and careful considerations during that time.
Abe.
Ever since the summer three years ago, when the Emperor Emeritus expressed his feelings, I have felt tremendous responsibility and pressure.
We had to carry out without fail the historic abdication and enthronement, and also the establishment of the new era name.
For that reason, the entire cabinet advanced preparations with the utmost care.
As April 1, the day the new era name would be announced, drew near, the sense of tension rose even further, and a kind of heavy atmosphere hung over the cabinet and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Thankfully, many people among the public appreciated and welcomed “Reiwa,” and I felt relieved, as though a burden had been lifted from my shoulders.
I think Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga felt the same way.
Sakurai.
There were opinion polls showing that seventy or eighty percent of the public highly valued the new era name.
Abe.
I am especially pleased that such a tendency was particularly apparent among young people who will bear the next age.
The more globalization advances, the more people seem to turn their thoughts toward their own identity, asking, “Who are we?”
At the same time, I think there have also been more opportunities to look toward and reflect upon the traditions and culture cultivated over our long history, and to ask what it is that we have continued to protect and treasure until now.
In that context, I feel that this time many people in the nation were able to think, with regard to the era name that we have long continued to preserve, “Yes, it really was right that we kept protecting it.”
Sakurai.
You were extremely sensitive about information leaks.
Abe.
For that too, we received criticism saying, “Isn’t this going too far?”
But the reason why we enforced such strict secrecy was that, since we ourselves will mark time together with the new era name, I believed it was important for the people of the nation to share the very moment of that decision.
The moment Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga announces, “The new era name is Reiwa,” the public spends that moment together through television and the internet.
Through that, they share the feeling that “our new era is beginning.”
I think that is something very important.
There is still a great deal of criticism, but I believe it was very good that the people were able to spend that historic moment together.
Is Prime Minister Abe Prince Shōtoku?
Sakurai.
It is astonishing that, regarding the success of these major national events within such a short preparation period, the media have acted as though it was “only natural that it could be done,” and there has been no reporting that properly values the achievement.
Abe.
I am used to not being appreciated by the media (laughs).
Of course, it was not only Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga and myself.
Many people devoted themselves to the establishment of the new era name.
In their respective fields, the bureaucrats staked their bureaucratic careers on it, and those who devised the era name staked their scholarly lives on it.
Sakurai.
I hope that because “Reiwa,” for the first time in Japan’s long history of era names, turned away from the Chinese classics and took as its source the Manyoshu, a Japanese national classic, it will once again awaken a deep interest in Japanese history.
The compilation of the Manyoshu is said to have begun after the death of Prince Shōtoku and to have been completed after the death of Emperor Shōmu.
That means it was compiled throughout the reigns of emperors who, as a way of life for the nation, chose not the Chinese path but the Yamato path.
“Reiwa” has made us recall such a history.
Without exaggeration, Prime Minister Abe seemed to overlap in my eyes with the figures of Prince Shōtoku and also Emperors Tenji, Tenmu, and Shōmu (laughs).
Abe.
No, no, that is far too much for me (laughs).
The Manyoshu, compiled more than twelve hundred years ago, is not only the oldest anthology of poetry in Japan, but is also a national classic that symbolically represents our country’s rich national culture and long tradition, containing poems composed not only by emperors, members of the imperial family, and nobles,
but also by frontier guards and farmers, that is, by people of a wide range of social classes, making it an anthology rare even in the world.
Sakurai.
Among its 4,500 poems, one finds many by nameless commoners.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that it contains the songs of the entire nation.
Abe.
Those are the poems of unknown authors.
One is struck as well by the high level of cultivation that enabled not only privileged classes such as the imperial family and the nobility, but also farmers and frontier guards, to compose poetry.
Sakurai.
It makes one strongly feel once again just how wonderful a country Japan is.
Abe.
When one says such things, there are often people who criticize it by saying, “Are you telling us to become arrogant?”
But that is a great mistake.
It is very important to possess a quiet pride in one’s own identity.
For example, I believe that it also helps foster the thinking and spirit that, when we go abroad, we should behave in a way that is not shameful as Japanese.
President Trump Also Felt Tense.
Sakurai.
At the opening of the new age called “Reiwa,” President Trump and the First Lady were welcomed as the first state guests.
President Trump must also have been astonished when Prime Minister Abe told him about the history of Japan’s Imperial House and era names.
Have you ever spoken to Trump about such things?
Abe.
Yes.
When I explained the traditions of Japan’s Imperial House, especially the fact of its unbroken line, he was deeply impressed.
Also, when President Trump and I were dining together and speaking alone, and I explained to him the abdication of the Emperor Emeritus and the enthronement of the current Emperor, the first such event in 202 years, he said, “It is truly an honor to be invited as the first state guest at such a historic time.”
Sakurai.
You met Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial banquet.
Abe.
At that time, President Trump, unusually for him, approached it with a tense expression.
Sakurai.
Trump was tense!
Perhaps Japan’s deep history naturally generates a powerful force.
Abe.
President Trump has a sensibility that respects the preciousness of tradition and culture.
Watching grand sumo was also something he had strongly wished to do for quite some time.
Because he likes combat sports, I thought it would be best for him to see it up close, and also that by watching it together with a large crowd he would be able to feel the unique sense of unity that belongs to grand sumo, and so I arranged that sort of seat in the masu section.
It caused a great deal of trouble for the people responsible for security, though.
Sakurai.
In fact, I too was invited by the nonfiction writer Kadota Ryusho, and together with Kin Birei and others I watched the final day.
When Prime Minister Abe and President Trump entered the Kokugikan, all the spectators rose to their feet and sent thunderous applause, and the hall was filled with cheers.
Abe.
To be honest, I was worried about what kind of atmosphere they would be welcomed in, but everyone received them politely and warmly.
Sakurai.
My seat was by the aisle, in a position from which I could see the profiles of Prime Minister Abe and President Trump straight in front of me.
Looking at him, President Trump’s expression was completely serious, and without smiling he watched intently from beginning to end.
I thought, “This man really does love combat sports.”
During the Takayasu and Tochinoshin Bout.
Abe.
President Trump would ask extremely detailed and earnest questions, such as, “Why do the wrestlers repeatedly reset themselves so many times before the initial charge?
What does that mean?”
and, “What role does the referee play?”
Chairman Hakkaku of the Sumo Association, formerly Yokozuna Hokutoumi, explained it for him, but during the Takayasu-Tochinoshin bout there was a match where it was unclear which man had won, and he leaned forward and repeatedly asked, “Shinzo, who won?
Which one?
Which one?”
I said, “Donald, just wait a moment” (laughs), but he was extremely excited.
After it was over, he repeatedly said to me, “While preserving an ancient and rich tradition, they fight with complete seriousness, and even after the bout there is no excessive theatricality.
The winning wrestler and the losing wrestler alike remain calm, and courteously honor each other.
Japanese sumo was truly wonderful.”
As we were leaving the Kokugikan, I happened to notice Sakurai and the others in seats by the aisle, so I introduced them to President Trump.
On the internet there were posts saying, “President Trump shakes hands with ordinary people,” but on another site I also saw comments saying, “Were they really ordinary people?” (laughs).
Sakurai.
I was surprised by how very approachable Trump was.
At the award ceremony, when he was presenting the “President of the United States Cup” to the champion wrestler, after he had finished handing over the cup, he lightly patted the shoulder of the Sumo Association official who had been supporting him beside him.
I thought that thoughtfulness was splendid.
Abe.
This is often misunderstood, but President Trump is actually a very considerate and kind person.
It is hardly known, but even when he is having lunch at a golf course, he always speaks to every single employee who brings food or drinks, saying, “Thank you,” “How are you?” and “How are things going?”
At the golf courses he owns, he calls all the staff by their first names, and the staff, too, responded casually with things like “President” or “Donald.”
It created a very good atmosphere, and it made us feel warm as well.
Sakurai.
When you visited Washington in April, Prime Minister Abe, after the summit meeting, attended a dinner at the White House celebrating Mrs. Melania Trump’s birthday.
At that time, I read an article saying that when Trump asked Mrs. Melania, “How would you like to celebrate your birthday today?” she answered, “There are no two people I would rather spend it with than Shinzo and Akie.”
There were also reports that during this visit to Japan, at a robatayaki restaurant in Roppongi, he said to Mrs. Melania, “You’re glad you got married, aren’t you?
To be able to come to such a wonderful Japan.”
It is an episode that conveys Trump’s kind personality.

Abe.
He is considerate, and I think he is kind at heart.
He also expresses joy very directly.
The day after he arrived in Japan, we played golf together for the fifth time in total, and the professional golfer Aoki Isao also joined us.
Aoki is known for having fought a fierce duel with the man called the king, Jack Nicklaus, at the 1980 U.S. Open, and President Trump also had a strong memory of that.
In the middle of the round, President Trump borrowed a driver from Aoki and hit with it, and the distance was tremendous.
He was honestly delighted by that, and in extremely high spirits.
To be continued.