Experts say Japan’s new dynasty, which began on May 1, has the same effect as a small-scale Y2K.

Data loss, server shutdown, email could not be sent, these are possible risks after May 1, when a new Japanese dynasty began.

The whole Japan is actively updating software, editing all kinds of documents and printing new calendars before May 1, when Prince Naruhito officially steps up to the throne and begins a new dynasty.

Reiwa dynasty is close by

For most countries in the world, May 1 is only one day in 2019. But for Japan, the country uses both the Western calendar system and the royal calendar, which will be the first day of the first year Reiwa.

The new year of Japan, Reiwa (according to the Han Vietnamese sound ‘Command Order’) was announced at the beginning of April. The beginning of the new dynasty means Japan’s royal calendar will return to the first year. Many experts believe that this will lead to an incident similar to Y2K, although to a much lesser extent.

Emperor Akihito announced his abdication at the end of December 2017. Photo: Shutterstock.

“The new dynasty will have a huge impact on large companies with complex computer systems,” said Gaku Moriya, deputy director of the IT department at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. (METI) said.

Large companies, with relatively modern systems, will be more easily updated. However, no one can accurately predict the impact of calendar changes. For many people, the new calendar change will be very expensive. All government documents, including tax refund forms and marriage registrations, use the royal calendar, so all public officials and companies will be affected.

Nagoya City, considered to be an industrial center in central Japan, is expected to spend $ 4.3 million to make changes. In Koga city, an incident occurred during the transition that caused more than 1,600 water bills to be mistakenly deleted. According to NHK , many scammers sent letters to the elderly, asking them to fill in bank information to ensure the transaction continued after the first day of the new dynasty, then stealing information.

For companies that failed to make changes before the Reiwa dynasty began, METI suggested a very classic way: to use the seal to add the name of the new dynasty to the texts.

The seals of the new dynasty names are selling very well in Japan. Photo: New York Times.

At the small factory of Hanko 21, a stationery manufacturing company in the suburbs of Tokyo, director Osamu Takiguchi said more than 20 workers are working overtime to keep up with production.

“We sold out the seal just three days after the new dynasty was announced,” Takiguchi said. He is also considering hiring more seasonal workers to prepare for the peak production in late April.

The tension of the almanac has prompted a debate about whether Japan should shift to using the Western calendar. Western calendars are still used in diplomatic jobs or international events, such as the 2020 Olympics. Most people also use this calendar in their lives.

A lawyer named Jiro Yamane even sued the government for saying that forcing people to use the calendar corresponding to the Emperor’s year is unconstitutional and disrespectful to the people.

“Only Japan exists in a different space and time, completely inconsistent with international culture. Why Japanese people still like to use this calendar, ”Mr. Yamane said.

One of the possible explanations is because Japanese people really like old, old things. Fax machines are still widely used in Japan. One of the rare stores in the world selling CD music is also in Japan.

The new dynasty, with many people, is synonymous with a new beginning. Government officials say many couples will come to the office to register for marriage on the first day of the new dynasty.

There is only 1 month to change the date

The Japanese began to use the royal calendar year by studying China since the 7th century. Since the 1970s, the Japanese government has stipulated that government agencies must use the royal calendar. To date, many countries around Japan, including China, have officially switched to using the Western calendar.

The last time Japan had to change its date is from 1989, ie before the modern computer era. On January 7, 1989, Emperor Hirohito died, and it was also the last day of the Showa Dynasty (Chieu Hoa) or the 64th Showa year. The next day was the first day of the Heisei Dynasty (Pingcheng). the first year of Heisei.

The Heisei year was announced on the same day Emperor Hirohito died, and in 24 hours most of the change in the annals on signs or forms was done by hand.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announces a new year “Reiwa” at a April press conference. Photo: New York Times.

This time, the conversion was planned in advance. Emperor Akihito has announced that he will abdicate from the end of 2017, so Japan has more than 1 year of preparation for the altered year.

However many companies did not do this earlier. According to the METI survey in March 2019, 1/5 of the total of 2,700 companies surveyed did not do anything to change the date. The work is more complicated when the Japanese government waits until the new 1/4 date to announce the new year, only one month before it is officially applied.

METI said many Japanese government offices and financial institutions use old computer systems and are likely to have problems.

“Some private companies may not be aware of the importance, and do not know what problems they will face,” said Mr. Moriya of METI.

Microsoft said it will release updates through cloud computing systems. However, companies and organizations that still use old or not updated Microsoft Windows systems are at risk of systemic disorder.

In many organizations, the people in charge will have to update the age-old systems corresponding to the Heisei dynasty. This can be very costly and laborious, and many companies have to update to newer systems.

“Some Japanese companies use 20, 30 year old systems. The interior of that system is as confusing as a black box, ”Mr. Moriya commented.

Workers at a seal factory in Chiba, Japan. Photo: New York Times.

At the factory as a seal, Mr. Takiguchi said he had a partner in charge of updating the computer system.

“I was told they would transfer my system to the Western calendar. They said that if they changed dynasties again, they would update the system miserably, “he said.

The conversation of Mr. Takiguchi with the New York Times reporter continued in the working atmosphere urgently, when the workers constantly manipulated to make small seals engraved with the words “Reiwa”.

Although happy with his growing work, Mr. Takiguchi said that changing the dynasty also made him tired. The fiscal year of Japan ended in March, and the reign of the dynasty took place not long after that which made him even more busy.

“The price that the new dynasty started in the summer is easier for us,” he said.

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Source : ictnews