How to use it
- Enter "Showa 60", "H31.4.30", "令和元年" or "1989".
- Enter a date of birth to get age, zodiac and school grade.
- Read the years of entering and leaving each school.
- Pick a year and print the age chart on one A4 page.
▶ Open the Japanese Era Converter
This page covers how to convert Japanese era years, how to read dates on Japanese documents, and five common questions about age and the school year in Japan.
Japanese era years and dates on documents
Add 2018 to a Reiwa year, 1988 to Heisei and 1925 to Shōwa to get the Western year. Dates are written year, month, day: 令和8年9月24日 is 24 September 2026, and 元年 (gannen) means year 1.
All eras since 1868 and how forms write them
| Era | Kanji / reading | Add | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reiwa (R) | 令和・れいわ | 2018 | 1 May 2019 – |
| Heisei (H) | 平成・へいせい | 1988 | 8 Jan 1989 – 30 Apr 2019 |
| Shōwa (S) | 昭和・しょうわ | 1925 | 25 Dec 1926 – 7 Jan 1989 |
| Taishō (T) | 大正・たいしょう | 1911 | 30 Jul 1912 – 24 Dec 1926 |
| Meiji (M) | 明治・めいじ | 1867 | 25 Jan 1868 – 29 Jul 1912 |
- 年 (nen) is year, 月 (gatsu) is month, 日 (nichi) is day. 生年月日 means date of birth; 西暦 is the Western year; 和暦 is the Japanese era calendar.
- Short forms use the era's first letter: H1.1.8 is 8 January 1989.
- Formal documents may use kanji numerals: 昭和六十年三月五日 is Shōwa 60, March 5. The converter reads these.
- Meiji dates before 1 January 1873 were in the lunisolar calendar, so only the year is converted.
Frequently asked questions
- What year is Showa 60?
- 1985. Add 1925 to any Shōwa year; add 1988 to Heisei and 2018 to Reiwa.
- When did Reiwa start, and why does 1989 have Showa 64 and Heisei 1?
- Reiwa began on 1 May 2019. Eras change on the day set by law, so Shōwa 64 covers only 1–7 January 1989.
- How do I write my date of birth on a Japanese form?
- Circle the era (昭和・平成・令和), then write year, month and day. Born 10 May 1990: circle 平成, write 2 年 5 月 10 日.
- How is age counted in Japan?
- Like most countries: one year older on each birthday. Legally it happens at the end of the day before; someone born on 29 February turns older at the end of 28 February in other years.
- How does the Japanese school year work?
- It runs from April to March. Children born 2 April to 1 April the next year share a grade and start elementary school the April after turning 6.
Sources
Sources: cabinet orders changing the era, National Archives of Japan, Act on Counting Age, Civil Code, School Education Act. Last checked 2026-09-24.
Links to the documents (in Japanese)
- Reiwa: Cabinet Order No. 143 of 2019, in force from the day after 30 April 2019
- Heisei: Cabinet Order No. 1 of 1989, promulgated 7 January 1989, in force the next day
- Shōwa: Imperial rescript of 25 December 1926, National Archives of Japan
- Taishō: "July 1912: the era becomes Taishō", National Archives of Japan
- Meiji: "September 1868: one era per reign"; Calendar Reform Proclamation of 1872
- Era Name Act (eras change only on imperial succession)
- Act on Counting Age, Civil Code Art. 143
- School Education Act Art. 17, its Enforcement Regulations Art. 59
Notes and your data
- Dates of birth are not stored or sent anywhere.
- School years assume no gap years or repeated grades.
- Untick the credit line to print the chart without it.
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