== Preparations for the imperial transition (2017–2019) ==
[[File:Yoshihide Suga announcing new imperial era Reiwa 2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Chief Cabinet Secretary]] [[Yoshihide Suga]] announces the new Imperial era "Reiwa" to the press]]
The committee met for the first time in January 2018, and the following month announced that a plan called a "basic policy statement," would be released on 3 April.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/04/e64cce3b9a66-govt-approves-plan-for-imperial-succession-rites-next-year.html|title=Basic plan for Japan's imperial succession rites in 2019 approved by gov't|first=KYODO|last=NEWS|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405090635/https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/04/e64cce3b9a66-govt-approves-plan-for-imperial-succession-rites-next-year.html|archive-date=5 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Official farewell celebrations began with a 30th Jubilee ceremony on 12 February 2019, a delay which would avoid any implication of a celebration of the death of the Emperor Shōwa on 7 January.<ref name="japantimes.co.jp">{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/02/15/national/government-pencils-february-2019-ceremony-mark-emperors-30-years-chrysanthemum-throne/|title=Government pencils in February 2019 ceremony to mark Emperor's 30 years on the Chrysanthemum Throne|date=15 February 2018|via=Japan Times Online|access-date=18 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219090320/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/02/15/national/government-pencils-february-2019-ceremony-mark-emperors-30-years-chrysanthemum-throne/|archive-date=19 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
