Japanese era converter (和暦 ⇄ Western year)
Convert any date between the Japanese era calendar and the Western (Gregorian) calendar. Era changes such as Heisei → Reiwa are handled to the exact day.
Japanese eras and how to convert
| Era | Period | Western year = |
|---|---|---|
| Reiwa (令和) | May 1, 2019 – | n + 2018 |
| Heisei (平成) | January 8, 1989 – April 30, 2019 | n + 1988 |
| Showa (昭和) | December 25, 1926 – January 7, 1989 | n + 1925 |
| Taisho (大正) | July 30, 1912 – December 24, 1926 | n + 1911 |
| Meiji (明治) | 1868 – July 29, 1912 | n + 1867 |
n is the era year. Example: Reiwa 8 → 8 + 2018 = 2026.
On Japanese forms the era is often abbreviated to one letter: R (Reiwa), H (Heisei), S (Showa), T (Taisho), M (Meiji). For example, “H2.5.10” means May 10, Heisei 2 = May 10, 1990.
Conversion chart
“Age” is the age reached on the birthday in 2026.
| Year | Japanese era | Animal | Age in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Reiwa 9 | Sheep (未) | — |
| 2026 | Reiwa 8 | Horse (午) | 0 |
| 2025 | Reiwa 7 | Snake (巳) | 1 |
| 2024 | Reiwa 6 | Dragon (辰) | 2 |
| 2023 | Reiwa 5 | Rabbit (卯) | 3 |
| 2022 | Reiwa 4 | Tiger (寅) | 4 |
| 2021 | Reiwa 3 | Ox (丑) | 5 |
| 2020 | Reiwa 2 | Rat (子) | 6 |
| 2019 | Heisei 31 / Reiwa 1 | Boar (亥) | 7 |
| 2018 | Heisei 30 | Dog (戌) | 8 |
| 2017 | Heisei 29 | Rooster (酉) | 9 |
| 2016 | Heisei 28 | Monkey (申) | 10 |
| 2015 | Heisei 27 | Sheep (未) | 11 |
| 2014 | Heisei 26 | Horse (午) | 12 |
| 2013 | Heisei 25 | Snake (巳) | 13 |
| 2012 | Heisei 24 | Dragon (辰) | 14 |
| 2011 | Heisei 23 | Rabbit (卯) | 15 |
| 2010 | Heisei 22 | Tiger (寅) | 16 |
| 2009 | Heisei 21 | Ox (丑) | 17 |
| 2008 | Heisei 20 | Rat (子) | 18 |
| 2007 | Heisei 19 | Boar (亥) | 19 |
| 2006 | Heisei 18 | Dog (戌) | 20 |
| 2005 | Heisei 17 | Rooster (酉) | 21 |
| 2004 | Heisei 16 | Monkey (申) | 22 |
| 2003 | Heisei 15 | Sheep (未) | 23 |
| 2002 | Heisei 14 | Horse (午) | 24 |
| 2001 | Heisei 13 | Snake (巳) | 25 |
| 2000 | Heisei 12 | Dragon (辰) | 26 |
| 1999 | Heisei 11 | Rabbit (卯) | 27 |
| 1998 | Heisei 10 | Tiger (寅) | 28 |
| 1997 | Heisei 9 | Ox (丑) | 29 |
| 1996 | Heisei 8 | Rat (子) | 30 |
| 1995 | Heisei 7 | Boar (亥) | 31 |
| 1994 | Heisei 6 | Dog (戌) | 32 |
| 1993 | Heisei 5 | Rooster (酉) | 33 |
| 1992 | Heisei 4 | Monkey (申) | 34 |
| 1991 | Heisei 3 | Sheep (未) | 35 |
| 1990 | Heisei 2 | Horse (午) | 36 |
| 1989 | Showa 64 / Heisei 1 | Snake (巳) | 37 |
| 1988 | Showa 63 | Dragon (辰) | 38 |
| 1987 | Showa 62 | Rabbit (卯) | 39 |
| 1986 | Showa 61 | Tiger (寅) | 40 |
| 1985 | Showa 60 | Ox (丑) | 41 |
| 1984 | Showa 59 | Rat (子) | 42 |
| 1983 | Showa 58 | Boar (亥) | 43 |
| 1982 | Showa 57 | Dog (戌) | 44 |
| 1981 | Showa 56 | Rooster (酉) | 45 |
| 1980 | Showa 55 | Monkey (申) | 46 |
| 1979 | Showa 54 | Sheep (未) | 47 |
| 1978 | Showa 53 | Horse (午) | 48 |
| 1977 | Showa 52 | Snake (巳) | 49 |
| 1976 | Showa 51 | Dragon (辰) | 50 |
| 1975 | Showa 50 | Rabbit (卯) | 51 |
| 1974 | Showa 49 | Tiger (寅) | 52 |
| 1973 | Showa 48 | Ox (丑) | 53 |
| 1972 | Showa 47 | Rat (子) | 54 |
| 1971 | Showa 46 | Boar (亥) | 55 |
| 1970 | Showa 45 | Dog (戌) | 56 |
| 1969 | Showa 44 | Rooster (酉) | 57 |
| 1968 | Showa 43 | Monkey (申) | 58 |
| 1967 | Showa 42 | Sheep (未) | 59 |
| 1966 | Showa 41 | Horse (午) | 60 |
| 1965 | Showa 40 | Snake (巳) | 61 |
| 1964 | Showa 39 | Dragon (辰) | 62 |
| 1963 | Showa 38 | Rabbit (卯) | 63 |
| 1962 | Showa 37 | Tiger (寅) | 64 |
| 1961 | Showa 36 | Ox (丑) | 65 |
| 1960 | Showa 35 | Rat (子) | 66 |
| 1959 | Showa 34 | Boar (亥) | 67 |
| 1958 | Showa 33 | Dog (戌) | 68 |
| 1957 | Showa 32 | Rooster (酉) | 69 |
| 1956 | Showa 31 | Monkey (申) | 70 |
| 1955 | Showa 30 | Sheep (未) | 71 |
| 1954 | Showa 29 | Horse (午) | 72 |
| 1953 | Showa 28 | Snake (巳) | 73 |
| 1952 | Showa 27 | Dragon (辰) | 74 |
| 1951 | Showa 26 | Rabbit (卯) | 75 |
| 1950 | Showa 25 | Tiger (寅) | 76 |
| 1949 | Showa 24 | Ox (丑) | 77 |
| 1948 | Showa 23 | Rat (子) | 78 |
| 1947 | Showa 22 | Boar (亥) | 79 |
| 1946 | Showa 21 | Dog (戌) | 80 |
| 1945 | Showa 20 | Rooster (酉) | 81 |
| 1944 | Showa 19 | Monkey (申) | 82 |
| 1943 | Showa 18 | Sheep (未) | 83 |
| 1942 | Showa 17 | Horse (午) | 84 |
| 1941 | Showa 16 | Snake (巳) | 85 |
| 1940 | Showa 15 | Dragon (辰) | 86 |
| 1939 | Showa 14 | Rabbit (卯) | 87 |
| 1938 | Showa 13 | Tiger (寅) | 88 |
| 1937 | Showa 12 | Ox (丑) | 89 |
| 1936 | Showa 11 | Rat (子) | 90 |
| 1935 | Showa 10 | Boar (亥) | 91 |
| 1934 | Showa 9 | Dog (戌) | 92 |
| 1933 | Showa 8 | Rooster (酉) | 93 |
| 1932 | Showa 7 | Monkey (申) | 94 |
| 1931 | Showa 6 | Sheep (未) | 95 |
| 1930 | Showa 5 | Horse (午) | 96 |
| 1929 | Showa 4 | Snake (巳) | 97 |
| 1928 | Showa 3 | Dragon (辰) | 98 |
| 1927 | Showa 2 | Rabbit (卯) | 99 |
| 1926 | Taisho 15 / Showa 1 | Tiger (寅) | 100 |
FAQ
What year is Reiwa 1?
Reiwa 1 is 2019. The Reiwa era began on May 1, 2019; January 1 – April 30, 2019 is still Heisei 31.
What is the Japanese year now?
2026 is Reiwa 8 (令和8年).
What does 元年 (gannen) mean?
元年 means the first year of an era. 令和元年 is Reiwa 1 (2019) and 平成元年 is Heisei 1 (1989).
Do I have to use Japanese era years on official forms?
Many city hall, bank and pension forms ask for dates in the Japanese era format, but most also accept Western years. If a form has boxes for 令和/平成/昭和, circle the era and write the era year.