On April 1, 2019, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the era name of Reiwa drawn from an anthology of poems called the Manyoshu, representing a break with centuries of tradition as the first era name to have been inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature. Honestly speaking, I had not expected the discussion on a new era name to heat up in the way that it did.  Never before had as many people joined the debate on a new gengo. Some people maintained that Japan should use only the Western calendar. But Japan is now the only country in the world that adheres to the gengo calendar tradition. Strongly wishing for the further prosperity of the Imperial family, I have come to believe more than ever that gengo is a valuable tradition Japan should maintain. Throughout my career, I have been committed to placing emphasis on what�fs happening on the spot in line with the philosophy of �gknowledge and action are one,�h espoused by the Chinese neo-Confucian philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1529).You see both problems and solutions only when you visit a site in person. Although I turn 81 today (January 8, 2020), I spend nearly one third of a year travelling overseas, having visited 122 countries on 541 trips so far. The Nippon Foundation has been engaged in a wide variety of activities, ranging from the global battle against leprosy and conservation of oceans to measures to assist children, persons with disabilities and the elderly as well as those hit by natural disasters�|of which we are seeing more in recent years. While gaining the wisdom of experts, we are aiming at designing a new model for achieving a society where everyone supports everyone. Resting in some of the many countries I visit are the souls of Japanese soldiers killed during the last war. With this to spur me on, I am determined to continue engaging in humanitarian activities at home and abroad while being ready to die anywhere in the world.   I would be most grateful if I am allowed to keep on writing for the Seiron column about the problems and solutions I find on my missions.