Japanese Era Converter

How to convert to and from the Japanese era calendar

1. To find the era of a date, leave Convert on "A date to a Japanese era" and pick the date. Today is filled in.
2. Read the date in kanji, such as 令和8年10月5日, with the era name and year in letters below it.
3. To go the other way, choose "An era year to a Western year", pick the era and type the year of the era.

Frequently asked questions

When did each era start?

Reiwa began on 1 May 2019, Heisei on 8 January 1989, Showa on 25 December 1926, Taisho on 30 July 1912 and Meiji in 1868.

What does 元年 mean?

It is the first year of an era. Reiwa 1 (2019) is written 令和元年 rather than 令和1年.

Which era is a year in which the era changed?

Both, depending on the day. 2019 is Heisei 31 until 30 April and Reiwa 1 from 1 May, so convert the full date to be sure.