(CNN) It's the dawning of the age of ... something.

Japan will reveal the name of the country's next era on April 1, as the country prepares for the abdication of Emperor Akihito later this year.

The current Heisei Era began in 1989, when Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Hirohito, who ruled during the Showa period and is now known as the Showa Emperor.

Akihito, soon to be known as the Heisei Emperor, will become the first Japanese monarch in 200 years to step down , relinquishing the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, who will become the 126th emperor on May 1.

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers near the Hayama Imperial Villa in Kanagawa Prefecture on January 21, 2019.

Eras are about more than who is the emperor of the day. They are also, for example, the basis of the Japanese calendar system: 2018 was Heisei 30, coming three decades after the era began.

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