Western year → Japanese era 西暦 → 和暦
Japanese era → Western year 和暦 → 西暦
When each era began and ended
* Meiji was named on 23 October 1868 and counted from the start of that year. Japan used the old lunar calendar until the end of 1872.
Year table: era, age and zodiac
The first year of an era is called 元年 (gannen). Everything is worked out in your browser.
About the Japanese era converter
Japan counts years in two ways. The Western year (西暦, seireki) is 2026. The Japanese era year (和暦, wareki) is 令和8年, Reiwa 8. A new era starts when a new emperor takes the throne, and the count starts again at year 1.
You see the era year on Japanese forms, ID cards, bank papers, coins and receipts. This tool converts both ways: a Western year or date to the era, and an era year or date to the Western calendar. It knows the exact day each era began, and it shows the kanji, the romaji and the one-letter code used on forms (R, H, S, T, M).
Features
- Both ways — 西暦 → 和暦 and 和暦 → 西暦, by year or by exact date
- Exact switch days — for example 30 April 2019 is Heisei 31, and 1 May 2019 is Reiwa 1
- Type it like on a form — R8.11.11, H31/4/30, S64.1.7, 平成元年 or 令和8年11月11日 all work
- 元年 shown right — the first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen), not 1年
- Kanji, romaji and codes — 令和 Reiwa R, 平成 Heisei H, 昭和 Showa S, 大正 Taisho T, 明治 Meiji M
- Mistake check — "Heisei 32" or "Showa 65" do not exist, and the tool tells you the real era
- Year table — every year from 1926 (or 1868) to today with its era, the age this year and the zodiac animal (干支)
The modern Japanese eras
| Era | Code | First day | Last day | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 令和 Reiwa | R | 1 May 2019 | (now) | 2019 → |
| 平成 Heisei | H | 8 January 1989 | 30 April 2019 | 1989–2019 (31 years) |
| 昭和 Showa | S | 25 December 1926 | 7 January 1989 | 1926–1989 (64 years) |
| 大正 Taisho | T | 30 July 1912 | 24 December 1926 | 1912–1926 (15 years) |
| 明治 Meiji | M | 23 October 1868 | 29 July 1912 | 1868–1912 (45 years) |
Meiji was named on 23 October 1868 and counted from the start of that year. Japan moved from the old lunar calendar to the Western calendar on 1 January 1873 (Meiji 6). For dates before that, this tool converts only the year.
Years with two eras
Four years have two eras. Here the year alone is not enough, so add the month and day.
- 1912 — Meiji 45 until 29 July, then Taisho 1 (大正元年) from 30 July
- 1926 — Taisho 15 until 24 December, then Showa 1 (昭和元年) from 25 December. Showa 1 was only 7 days long
- 1989 — Showa 64 from 1 to 7 January, then Heisei 1 (平成元年) from 8 January
- 2019 — Heisei 31 until 30 April, then Reiwa 1 (令和元年) from 1 May
How to convert by hand
Take the Western year and subtract a fixed number. Or add it to go back.
| Era | Western year → era year | Era year → Western year |
|---|---|---|
| Reiwa | year − 2018 | Reiwa + 2018 |
| Heisei | year − 1988 | Heisei + 1988 |
| Showa | year − 1925 | Showa + 1925 |
| Taisho | year − 1911 | Taisho + 1911 |
| Meiji | year − 1867 | Meiji + 1867 |
For example, 1975 − 1925 = Showa 50, and Heisei 12 + 1988 = 2000. Watch the switch years above: the rule gives you the era number, but not whether that era had already started on your date.
Quick list: common birth years
| Western year | Japanese era | Age in 2026 (after the birthday) |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 昭和20年 (S20) | 81 |
| 1964 | 昭和39年 (S39) | 62 |
| 1975 | 昭和50年 (S50) | 51 |
| 1988 | 昭和63年 (S63) | 38 |
| 1990 | 平成2年 (H2) | 36 |
| 2000 | 平成12年 (H12) | 26 |
| 2010 | 平成22年 (H22) | 16 |
| 2020 | 令和2年 (R2) | 6 |
The year table in the tool lists every year, with the age before and after the birthday.
How to use it
- See this year in the Japanese calendar at the top
- To convert a Western year, type it under Western year → Japanese era. Add the month and day for an exact date
- To convert an era year, choose the era and type the year (1 = 元年). Add the month and day if you have them
- Or type the date like on a form: R8.11.11, H31.4.30, S50, 平成元年
- Scroll down for the era table and the year table with ages and zodiac animals
Frequently asked questions
What year is it in Japan now?
2026 is 令和8年, Reiwa 8. Reiwa began on 1 May 2019, so 2019 was Reiwa 1 and every 1 January adds one.
What does 元年 mean?
元年 (gannen) means "first year". Japanese writes 令和元年, not 令和1年, for the first year of an era. On forms and in computers you will also see R1 or 令和1年.
Is 2019 Heisei 31 or Reiwa 1?
Both. Heisei 31 runs from 1 January to 30 April 2019. Reiwa 1 runs from 1 May to 31 December 2019. Emperor Akihito stepped down on 30 April, and Emperor Naruhito took the throne on 1 May.
What do R, H, S, T and M mean on a form?
They are the first letters of the eras: R Reiwa, H Heisei, S Showa, T Taisho and M Meiji. So S50 means Showa 50 (1975) and H31.4.30 means 30 April 2019. Some forms and computer systems use a number instead, for example 1 for Meiji up to 5 for Reiwa.
Why does the year change on 1 January and not on the emperor's birthday?
The era starts on the day of the new emperor, but after that every era year starts on 1 January, the same as the Western year. Only the first year of an era is short.
What is 干支 in the year table?
干支 (eto) is the zodiac animal of the year, the same 12 animals as the Chinese zodiac. In Japan the twelfth animal is the boar (亥, inoshishi). 2026 is the year of the horse (午).
Can it convert years before Meiji?
No. It starts at 1868, Meiji 1. Before that Japan used many short era names and the lunar calendar, so a simple table is not enough.
Good to know
- Reiwa years in the future assume the era goes on. A new era starts only with a new emperor
- Months and days before 1873 followed the old lunar calendar, so only the year is converted for 1868–1872
- The kanji are shown in a Japanese font when your device has one
- Nothing you type is sent anywhere
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