Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia.
Many Japanese will get their longest ever "Golden Week" holidays, 10 days to mark May 1's beginning of the new era following Emperor Akihito's abdication on April 30, and some are taking advantage of deep discounts. The expected downsides: monster traffic jams and struggles to keep store shelves stocked with so many people getting time off.
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Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia.
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Chiharu Yanagihara checks a tablet device showing catalog of wedding dresses with her fiance Kenzo Watanabe at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 10, 2019, photo, samples of Reiwa era labeling stamps are shown by Shigeo Kojima, managing director of Kippodo stamp company, during an interview in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In this April 10, 2019, photo, a Reiwa era labeling stamp is put on a name card after deleting Japanese character of Heisei by Shigeo Kojima, managing director of Kippodo stamp company, during an interview in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. Kippodo has been getting 300-500 orders daily for new Reiwa era labeling stamps since the name for the new era was announced on April 1. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In this April 10, 2019, photo, Shigeo Kojima, managing director Kippodo stamp company, speaks in front of a stack of name stamps during an interview in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. Kippodo has been getting 300-500 orders daily for new Reiwa era labeling stamps since the name for the new era was announced on April 1. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Kenzo Watanabe smiles as his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara tries on a wedding dress at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Kenzo Watanabe, left, passes a bouquet to his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara as she tries on a wedding dress at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Kenzo Watanabe, right top, and his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara, center, check a tablet device showing catalog of wedding dresses with a staff at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
The transition from the Heisei era of Akihito to the upcoming Reiwa era is a rare opportunity to celebrate: the Heisei era came amid mourning for Akihito's father, the late emperor Hirohito, a time of somber restraint.
In this April 11, 2019, photo, engaged couple Kenzo Watanabe, left, and his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara check a tablet device showing catalog of wedding dresses at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Chiharu Yanagihara checks a tablet device showing catalog of wedding dresses with her fiance Kenzo Watanabe at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 10, 2019, photo, samples of Reiwa era labeling stamps are shown by Shigeo Kojima, managing director of Kippodo stamp company, during an interview in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In this April 10, 2019, photo, a Reiwa era labeling stamp is put on a name card after deleting Japanese character of Heisei by Shigeo Kojima, managing director of Kippodo stamp company, during an interview in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. Kippodo has been getting 300-500 orders daily for new Reiwa era labeling stamps since the name for the new era was announced on April 1. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In this April 10, 2019, photo, Shigeo Kojima, managing director Kippodo stamp company, speaks in front of a stack of name stamps during an interview in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. Kippodo has been getting 300-500 orders daily for new Reiwa era labeling stamps since the name for the new era was announced on April 1. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Kenzo Watanabe smiles as his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara tries on a wedding dress at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Kenzo Watanabe, left, passes a bouquet to his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara as she tries on a wedding dress at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
In this April 11, 2019, photo, Kenzo Watanabe, right top, and his fiancee Chiharu Yanagihara, center, check a tablet device showing catalog of wedding dresses with a staff at a Japanese wedding company in Tokyo. Japan is getting ready for its biggest celebration in years with the advent of the Reiwa era of soon-to-be emperor Naruhito. That means big opportunities for businesses hoping consumers will splash out on long holidays and memorabilia. (AP PhotoEugene Hoshiko)
