Japanese era (wareki) ⇔ Western year converter
Month and day are optional. With them, the era is decided by the exact date; with a year alone, every era in that year is listed.
Result
2026 is Reiwa 8.
Sexagenary year: 丙午 (hinoe-uma), year of the Horse
How it is calculated
From Taisho on, the mapping between Western and Japanese era years depends only on the first day of each era (table below). Taisho and Showa began on the day of the imperial rescript, Heisei and Reiwa on the day set by cabinet order; the day before belongs to the old era. For example, January 7, 1989 is Showa 64 and January 8 is Heisei 1. If you enter only a year that spans two eras, both are listed with their date ranges.
The Meiji rescript declared that Keio 4 would become Meiji 1, so Meiji 1 runs back to the lunisolar New Year of Keio 4. Japan used the lunisolar calendar until the 2nd day of the 12th month of Meiji 5 (December 31, 1872), so for that period only the year is converted, not the month and day. Lunisolar New Year dates come from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s calendar database.
The sexagenary year is determined by the remainder of (year − 4) divided by 60; 1984 is kinoe-ne. Age goes up on the birthday, and people born on February 29 turn a year older on March 1 in common years. Legally, under Japan’s Act on Age Calculation, a person reaches the next age at the end of the day before their birthday.
| Era | First day | Legal basis (Japanese) |
|---|---|---|
| Meiji | 明治改元の詔・行政官布告第726号（慶応4年9月8日、慶応4年を明治元年とする） | |
| Taisho | 詔書（明治45年7月30日、同日以後を大正元年とする） | |
| Showa | 詔書（大正15年12月25日、同日以後を昭和元年とする） | |
| Heisei | 元号を改める政令（昭和64年政令第1号） | |
| Reiwa | 元号を改める政令（平成31年政令第143号） |
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FAQ
What year is Reiwa 1?
2019. Reiwa began on May 1, 2019, so January 1 to April 30, 2019 is still Heisei 31.
Why are there both Showa 64 and Heisei 1 in 1989?
The era changed partway through 1989. January 1 to 7 is Showa 64 and January 8 onward is Heisei 1, so Showa 64 lasted only seven days.
Is there a quick way to convert a Japanese era year?
Add 2018 to a Reiwa year, 1988 to a Heisei year, 1925 to a Showa year, 1911 to a Taisho year, or 1867 to a Meiji year (from Meiji 6). In a year when the era changed, check the exact date, because the era depends on the month and day.