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改元 (かいげん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

改かい元げん

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Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb

change of era; era name change

Refers to the official act of changing the era name (gengō) in the Japanese calendar system. Used both as a noun and as a suru-verb.

平へい成せいから令れい和わへの改かい元げんは2019年ねん5月がつ1日ついたちに行おこなわれた。
The change of era from Heisei to Reiwa took place on May 1, 2019.

天皇てんのうの退たい位いに伴ともない、改かい元げんが実じっ施しされた。

With the emperor's abdication, an era name change was carried out.

Kanji

改reformation, change, modify
元beginning, former time, origin

Similar words

元げん号ごう
元号 is the era name itself (e.g., 令和), while 改元 is the act of changing that name.
改かい暦れき
改暦 refers to a calendar reform (e.g., switching from lunar to solar calendar), whereas 改元 specifically refers to changing the era name.

Etymology

Compound of 改 (kai, 'change') and 元 (gen, 'origin' or 'beginning'), referring to the renewal of the era name. The practice originates from ancient Chinese calendar systems and was adopted in Japan.