Emperor Akihito became the Emperor of Japan after the death of his father Emperor Hirohito. The current period from 8 January 1989 onwards is known as Heisei period. Heisei means ‘peace everywhere’ and the year 2016 in the Japanese era is termed as Heisei 28 (2016-1988 =28). Until the next Emperor, Heisei will be used in Japan to define the current era.
