Heisei period

The Heisei period is an era in Japanese culture marking the end of the reign of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously named Shōwa and the ascendancy of his successor, his son, Akihito. The Heisei period began on January 8th, 1989 following Hirohito's death on January 7th. The name Heisei is derived from a combination of Chinese philosophical works and means "Peace Everywhere".

In science fiction, Heisei refers to a series of films in the Godzilla franchise and its corresponding spin-off projects, as well as the non-related Gamera relaunch series. Godzilla films released following 1984's The Return of Godzilla up until 1995's Godzilla vs. Destroyah are considered part of the Heisei series and are a singular continuity seperate from that of the previous Shōwa series and the later Mireniamu, or "Millennium" series. Three Gamera films were produced in the Heisei period between 1995 and 1999 including, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Advent of Legion, and Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys.