"Reiwa " is "beautiful harmony" - to explain it to overseas

 Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following:

「令和」は「beautiful harmony」海外に説明へ

2019年4月3日 18時55分

新元号の「令和」について、一部の海外メディアが「令」は秩序を示す「order」の意味だなどと報じたことを受けて、外務省は、「令和」には、「beautiful harmony」、美しい調和という意味が込められていると説明するよう海外に駐在する大使などに指示しました。

平成に代わる新しい元号が「令和」と決まったことについて、海外ではイギリスの公共放送ＢＢＣが「令」の意味を秩序の「order」だと速報するなど、一部メディアが、「令」が一般的に「order・秩序」や「command・指令」の意味で使われているなどと報じました。

これを受けて、外務省は正確に理解してもらおうと、「令和」には「beautiful harmony」、美しい調和という意味が込められていると説明するよう、海外に駐在する大使などに指示しました。

Translation

In response to the fact that some overseas media reported that "Rei" 「令」had the meaning of "order" in showing an orderly sequence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that they had instructed ambassadors who were residing overseas to explain that " Reiwa" included the meaning of “beautiful harmony”.

Regarding the decision to use “ Reiwa " as the new era to replace Heisei, in overseas the UK public broadcaster, the BBC broadcasted that the meaning of "Rei" was “order - orderly" while some other media broadcasters reported that “Rei” were generally used in the sense of "order - in good order"; or " a command - instruction".

In response to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to have “Reiwa” being understood correctly, had instructed its ambassadors overseas to explain that a meaning of “beautiful harmony” was included.

     It is interesting to note that even one Kanji (漢字) in Japan could have so many different meanings.