When Japan was deciding its new imperial era name three years ago, it went for Reiwa (beautiful harmony) in a move that broke millennia of tradition: the nation's 248th era name was the first to be drawn from Japanese literature instead of Chinese classics.
The decision is emblematic of the delicate geopolitical dance between Asia's two largest economic powers, which share many similarities rooted in history such as their use of the kanji Chinese character script.
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