The new era name, a closely guarded secret that has kept the public here guessing for months, was greeted by a highly expectant nation, including thousands gathering on the streets in front of large screens.

"'Reiwa' sounds really beautiful and it's easy to write in kanji," Haruna Kameda, an elementary school teacher in her 40s told Xinhua.

"I was born in the Showa era, grew up in Heisei and now I'm going to live in Reiwa," Kameda, who works in Tokyo's Meguro ward, said happily.

Era names, or "gengo" as they are known in Japanese, are used in Japan for the length of an emperor's reign.

The new era name is usually announced after the accession of the new monarch, but the government decided to announce the new name in advance of the accession of the new Emperor.

In this way companies and the general public have time to prepare for the change and disruption is kept to a minimum.