History and Meaning of Heisei era
– Keizō Obuchi attended the press conference to announce the new era name Heisei.
– The Grand Steward of Japan’s Imperial Household Agency announced Emperor Hirohito’s death and revealed details about his cancer.
– Keizō Obuchi announced the end of the Shōwa era and the new era name Heisei for the new Emperor.
– The name Heisei was taken from two Chinese history and philosophy books, Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Documents.
– Heisei is intended to mean peace everywhere.
Events during the Heisei era
– The 1990s saw a boom in the international popularity of anime and manga.
– Japan experienced the Lost Decade, a period of price deflation and stagnant GDP.
– The Recruit scandal eroded public confidence in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
– Several anime media franchises gained global popularity.
– The Kyoto Protocol to regulate greenhouse gas emissions was adopted in Kyoto, Japan.
Japan’s military involvement during the Heisei era
– Japan made a financial contribution and sent military hardware for the Gulf War.
– Japan sent minesweeper vessels to the Persian Gulf to improve ship safety.
– Japan deployed troops to help in Iraq’s reconstruction after the Iraq War.
– Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea.
– Japan reemerged as a military power during this era.
Natural disasters and technological achievements
– Kobe earthquake and sarin gas attacks occurred in 1995.
– The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s spacecraft Hayabusa collected samples from an asteroid.
– An earthquake and aftershocks rocked the Hokuriku region in 2004.
– The Tokyo Skytree became the tallest tower in the world in 2011.
– Mount Fuji and Tokyo Skytree became iconic landmarks during this era.
Political and economic developments
– The Democratic Party of Japan won the lower house election, ending the LDP’s political domination.
– The 2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls took place during this era.
– Japan’s population peaked at 128 million in 2010.
– Japan’s defense policy shifted focus from the former Soviet Union to China.
– China’s economy became the second largest in the world, while Japan’s economy descended to the third largest. Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisei_era
