令 (rei) — decree, order, beautiful, auspicious. From the Manyoshu: "In this auspicious month of early spring, the air is beautiful." 和 (wa) — harmony, peace, Japan itself. Together: Beautiful Harmony. An aspiration encoded in the calendar.
Naruhito, 126th Emperor
"We do not count days to know how many have passed. We count them to feel each one arrive."