When Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga unveiled that Reiwa would be the name of Japan's next Imperial era on Monday, it was a moment that finally put an end to months of fierce media competition to get the scoop before the official announcement.
The name of a new Imperial era, or gengō, has traditionally been treated as top secret. But in the past, the name would somehow wriggle its way into the hands of scoop-hungry journalists just before the announcement, shaming the officials involved.
So it's perhaps little surprise this time around that the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has gone to great lengths to prevent this.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.