Japanese Era Converter (Western Year ↔ Reiwa, Heisei, Showa)
Convert a date between the Western calendar and the Japanese era names Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei and Reiwa, with 元年, the zodiac year and an age chart.
Western date → Japanese era
Japanese era → Western date
Enter 1 for 元年 (the first year). Leave month and day empty to convert the year only.
Age chart (年齢早見表)
| Year of birth | Japanese era | Zodiac (干支) | Age after birthday | Before birthday |
|---|
How the eras are counted
- An era begins on the day its name took effect, not on 1 January: Taisho on 30 July 1912, Showa on 25 December 1926, Heisei on 8 January 1989 and Reiwa on 1 May 2019. The year in which an era changes therefore has two names, such as 昭和64年 and 平成元年 for 1989.
- The first year of an era is called 元年 (gannen). Official documents also accept 1年.
- Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar on 1 January 1873 (明治6年). Dates before that were in the old lunisolar calendar, so for Meiji 1 to 5 (1868–1872) the tool converts the year only.
- The zodiac year (干支) in the chart follows the Western year, as in Japanese age charts. In fortune-telling the zodiac year often changes at 立春, around 4 February.
- Everything runs in your browser. The dates you enter are not sent to LeedyBox or saved.
Source: e-Gov 法令検索: 元号を改める政令（昭和六十四年政令第一号） · Last checked:
Source: e-Gov 法令検索: 元号を改める政令（平成三十一年政令第百四十三号） · Last checked:
Source: 国立公文書館: 大正十五年十二月二十五日以後ヲ改メテ昭和元年ト為ス・御署名原本・大正十五年・詔書一二月二五日 · Last checked:
Source: 国立公文書館: 明治四十五年七月三十日以後ヲ改メテ大正元年ト為ス・御署名原本・明治四十五年・詔書七月三十日 · Last checked:
Source: e-Gov 法令検索: 明治五年太政官布告第三百三十七号（改暦ノ布告） · Last checked:
Wrong result? If a date converts wrongly, email us the date you entered and the result you expected, so we can fix it.
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How to use
- To find the Japanese era of a Western date, pick the date under "Western date → Japanese era". The result shows the era, the year, the weekday and the zodiac year.
- To go the other way, choose the era, enter the year (1 for 元年), then the month and day. Leave month and day empty to convert only the year.
- If a date belongs to another era, for example 平成31年5月1日, the tool says when the era ended and gives the right name of that day.
- Use the age chart to see the age of someone born in a given year, before and after this year's birthday.
Frequently asked questions
What year is it in the Japanese calendar?
2026 is Reiwa 8 (令和8年). Reiwa began on 1 May 2019, so Reiwa year = Western year − 2018. For Heisei subtract 1988, for Showa 1925 and for Taisho 1911.
Why is 1989 both Showa 64 and Heisei 1?
A new era begins on a fixed day, not on 1 January. Showa ended on 7 January 1989 and Heisei began on 8 January, so 1–7 January 1989 are 昭和64年 and the rest of the year is 平成元年. 2019 is the same: until 30 April it was Heisei 31, from 1 May Reiwa 1.
What does 元年 mean?
元年 (gannen) is the first year of an era: 令和元年 is the same as 令和1年. Both forms are used; you can switch between them with the option above the age chart.
Can I convert dates from the early Meiji years?
Only the year. Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar on 1 January 1873 (明治6年); before that, months and days followed the old lunisolar calendar and do not match Western dates. Meiji 1 is 1868.
Is the zodiac year in the chart based on the Western year?
Yes. Japanese age charts give the 干支 of each Western year: 2026 is 丙午 (ひのえうま). In astrology the year often changes at 立春, around 4 February, so someone born in January may count the year before.
Is the date I enter sent anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in your browser, and the page does not save what you enter.