WebThe Heisei era (平成, Japanese: ⓘ) was the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito , when his son, Akihito, acceded to the throne as the 125th Emperor .