vivster on 04 April 2019
| SpokenTruth said: Interesting. In the western world, eras usually get a name after the happen, not before they happen. Does this signify any actual changes in culture or policy or is it more symbolic? |
In western countries eras are signified by big political or cultural changes, that's why they're only named after they have already changed over because nobody knows when a current era will end.
The "eras" in Japan are not actual eras but simple historic markers for a change of the emperor. This is merely a historic relic because nowadays the change of the emperor changes virtually nothing since he doesn't have any actual political power. Back in the days it meant something, nowadays it's completely devoid of meaning.
Compare Japanese eras with a change of the pope, just even more meaningless.
If you demand respect or gratitude for your volunteer work, you're doing volunteering wrong.
