The name of new imperial era of Japan

   In this late morning today, the Japanese government released "令和"(Reiwa), the new imperial era following the current era 平成(Heisei).  This new imperial era is going to be enforced from this May 1st when the Japanese prince, Hironomiya-sama (Naruhito) crowns to the new emperor on the same day.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the name of the new imperial era on April 1st.
https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/content/000039556.jpg

  The BBC reported this news on its web page and said that "令（Rei）" can mean "commands" or "order", as well as "auspicious" or "good". Some of the Japanese media reported that BBC interpreted "令(Rei)" as "秩序（order）".

   If foreign people understand the meaning of "令"(Rei) as "order(commands) " as their first recognition, I want to say that might not be appropriate. This time, the Kanji "令(Rei)" is quoted from the poetry of 万葉集(Manyoshu) that is the oldest existing collection of poetry compiled sometime after AD 759 during the Nara period.

   I am felling the meaning of "order(commands)" in contemporary western style might have some portion of definitions like powers to force people to obey by the weapon or very strict, ruthless and one-sided rules. Is my understanding correct?  I would say that order(commands) in the style has something like artificial means.

The poetry of Manyoshu where "令(Rei)" is quoted is as follows.

「初春の令月（れいげつ）にして、気淑（よ）く風和ぎ、梅は鏡前の粉を披（ひら）き、蘭は珮後（はいご）の香を薫す」

”しょしゅん の れいげつ にして き よく かぜ やわらぎ、うめは きょうぜん の こ を ひらき、らんは はいご の こう を かおらす”
How to read this Japanese poetry is "Shoshun no reigetsu nishite ki yoku kaze yawaragi, Ume wa kyouzen no ko wo hiraki, ran wa haigo no koh wo kaorasu".

   This poetry includes some old kanji that is not used in our daily life. However, let me try to interpret this old poetry in contemporary Japanese for my foreign friends.

   " It is a good month of auspicious early spring when a lot of things getting done. We are feeling comfortable wind and atmosphere. Plum is fully blooming like cosmetic white powder at a mirror stand, and orchid is expected to be very fragrant for a long time." 

   I want to say, "令(Rei)" used in the new imperial era"令和" doesn't mean "order (commands)" but it means auspiciousness including admiration and awe for nature.
   According to a Japanese linguistics Hideho Kindaichi, "令（Rei）" has an old meaning as a divine revelation from God. I think most of Japanese feel nature as something like God even though most of us in Japan don't usually do any worships in our daily life.  I also found another meaning of "令（Rei）" as the law making the foundation of the rule of life in ancient times.

   I can't help but feel that we Japanese have a familiar pious feeling for nature as God that appears in old Japanese tales. It is difficult for me to explain it with languages even though in Japanese. I think this non-artificial, non-linguistic and nameless feeling like air is a root of "order" that Japanese has in their mind and  I think this feeling is included in the Kanji of "令（Rei）".

   I believe that Japanese people and other foreign people are all the same even though we have different cultures and religions and lifestyles. I have felt this feeling among a lot of my foreign friends whom I met in Japan and many foreign countries. So I want to expect that there is the same concept of "令（Rei）" in everybody's mind to a certain degree regardless of nationality.  We might have difficulties to recognize this non-linguistic feeling mutually due to the limit of cultural framework, but when we have "A-ha" moment regarding this concept mutually, I believe that we can bury the stupid war forever.