How to use the converter
- Western year → era: type a year such as 1995 to see its era year (Heisei 7). Years in which the era changed — 1912, 1926, 1989 and 2019 — show both eras and the switch date.
- Exact date → era: pick a date to get the single era year that applied on that day, the date written Japanese style and the weekday. Use this for a birth date on a Japanese form.
- Era year → Western year: choose the era and type its year. The first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen) and counts as 1.
Every result includes a chart of the ten years before and after, with the age a person born in each year reaches on their birthday this year.
Japanese eras since 1868
| Era | Began | Ended | Last year | Western year = |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meiji (明治) | 1868 | July 29, 1912 | Meiji 45 | era year + 1867 |
| Taisho (大正) | July 30, 1912 | December 24, 1926 | Taisho 15 | era year + 1911 |
| Showa (昭和) | December 25, 1926 | January 7, 1989 | Showa 64 | era year + 1925 |
| Heisei (平成) | January 8, 1989 | April 30, 2019 | Heisei 31 | era year + 1988 |
| Reiwa (令和) | May 1, 2019 | — | — | era year + 2018 |
To go the other way, subtract the same number: Reiwa year = Western year − 2018, Heisei = − 1988, Showa = − 1925. Under the Era Name Act of 1979, an era changes only when a new emperor takes the throne, so each era matches one reign.
Worked examples
- 2026: 2026 − 2018 = Reiwa 8 (令和8年).
- Born in 1985: 1985 − 1925 = Showa 60.
- Heisei 10: 10 + 1988 = 1998.
- March 15, 2019: the Reiwa era had not started yet, so the date is Heisei 31, March 15. A date of June 1, 2019 is Reiwa 1 (令和元年), June 1.
Years with two eras
When an era ends partway through a year, that year carries two names. Showa 64 lasted only seven days, January 1–7, 1989; Heisei 1 began on January 8. In 2019 Emperor Akihito abdicated, so Heisei 31 ran from January 1 to April 30 and Reiwa 1 from May 1. Showa 1 was also only a week long (December 25–31, 1926). When a form asks for the era of a date in one of these years, use the exact-date mode.
Where you will meet Japanese era years
Government paperwork in Japan — residence records, tax returns, health insurance cards and many bank and employment forms — commonly writes dates in the era system, and many forms still ask for birth dates that way. Driver's licenses print the expiry date with the era year, and handwritten résumés often use it too. Western years are accepted on many documents, so when a form gives you a choice, follow its example line.
The Meiji era name was proclaimed in 1868 and applied to that whole year. Japan used the traditional lunisolar calendar until Meiji 5: the day after the 2nd day of the 12th month of Meiji 5 became January 1, Meiji 6 (1873). That is why exact dates in this converter start in 1873, while the year modes reach back to 1868.
Frequently asked questions
What year is Reiwa 8?
Reiwa 8 is 2026. Add 2018 to any Reiwa year to get the Western year: Reiwa 1 was 2019, Reiwa 10 will be 2028.
How do I convert a Heisei year to a Western year?
Add 1988. Heisei 1 is 1989, Heisei 12 is 2000 and Heisei 31, the last Heisei year, is 2019.
What does gannen (元年) mean?
Gannen is the first year of an era. It counts as year 1, so Reiwa gannen (令和元年) is 2019 and Heisei gannen (平成元年) is 1989.
Why does 2019 have two era names?
Emperor Akihito abdicated on April 30, 2019, and Emperor Naruhito took the throne on May 1. Dates through April 30, 2019 are Heisei 31; dates from May 1 are Reiwa 1. 1989 is split the same way on January 8.
When will the Reiwa era end?
No end date is set. An era lasts until the next emperor’s accession, so the converter keeps counting Reiwa years forward for future dates.
Last updated: October 14, 2026