The Heisei era is going over

The era of Heisei is ending today. The era name is renewed when an emperor abdicates. The present prince will take over the position of emperor tomorrow.

They say this system comes from the old Chinese history of the reign of emperors. Renewal of era name means that an emperor dominates the people with the time itself.

That is why I am not much concerned about the new era. I respect the present emperor as a human being, a pacifist as well as the symbol of the nation. But he or the other Imperial Household won't be and shouldn't be the dominant power at all any longer.

Unfortunately, there is a faction in our country which would pursue revival of the prewar imepiral nation system. They won't lose the chance of new era to utilize to accomplish their idea. The top of such a faction is the prime minister Abe.

The ending era of Heisei has been a time when our country underwent decline of the national as well as economic power/ability. The World Fact Book by CIA tells that our substantial growth rate is ranked only the 164th in the world and the 17th in Asia. It is going on falling. In accordance with it, even though economy is not the sole factor determining happiness of the people, the world happiness ranking by UN in 2019 is continuously dropping to the 59th in 2019.

The inequality of economy has developed at high speed. Non regular employment went up to 40% of all employees. Under the slogan of equal pay for equal work, at present, the regular employment class is being assimilated into the non regular employment class. 

With the increasing debt of the government up to more than 1000trillion JPY, it seems a hard landing is inevitable in the near future. It is not the question if collapse could be avoided or not but when as well as how it comes on us. The reflation school leading our present government for the past 6 years seems to be a total failure resulting in more debt accumulation. The main issue is how to abate the most probable hard landing.

As for myself in the Heisei era, I have worked hard at own private practice and have already retired. I have had parents passed away, father 20 years ago, mother 8 years ago, respectively. Candidly, so far as the evaluation measure in the society concerned, we have not been very successful raising children. It seems, however, our family will go on in the same way whatever the era might be. It is what we have had in the Heisei era. I would accept it as it is. No choice. I am still grateful to the family and the people surrounding us giving much support to us. Despite of the worry for the economic crisis in our country in the near future, we could get along in peace so far. Such lives of ordinary people will continue irrespective of the era we live in.