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Message:: [QUOTE="ewomack, post: 3410247, member: 15588"]The date on the coin, "平成元年," is pronounced "Heisei Gan'nen" and means roughly "First year of the emperor Heisei," or Emperor Akihito. It will be interesting to see how and when the coins change under the new Emperor Naruhito. The Japanese Mint's website shows 2019's coins as saying "平成三十一年" or "平成31年," so perhaps they will not change until next year. Japanese Emperors are supposed to serve for life, so Akihito had to obtain a special dispensation from the Japanese government to abdicate, which marks the first time an Emperor has abdicated in over 200 years. He cited poor health and his recent appearances, where he appeared to wobble, support his claim pretty well. He has started succession rites already. It should be pretty interesting.[/QUOTE]