Regional Guides
Japanese Era Year Converter — Reiwa, Heisei, Showa to Western Year
If you've ever filled out a Japanese form, signed a contract in Japan, or watched a J-drama mentioning '平成生まれ' (Heisei-born), you've run into Japan's dual calendar system. Western year + imperial era name run in parallel, and most official documents still use eras. Here's how to convert between them in seconds.
The Current Era — Reiwa (令和)
Japan is currently in the Reiwa era, which began on **May 1, 2019** when Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne. 2019 was Reiwa 1 (令和元年), 2020 was Reiwa 2, and so on.
Quick formula: **Reiwa year = Western year − 2018**. So 2026 = Reiwa 8 (令和8年).
Era ↔ Western Year Conversion Table
| Era | Year | Western Year |
|---|---|---|
| Reiwa (令和) | 1 | 2019 |
| Reiwa | 5 | 2023 |
| Reiwa | 8 | 2026 |
| Heisei (平成) | 1 | 1989 |
| Heisei | 10 | 1998 |
| Heisei | 20 | 2008 |
| Heisei | 30 | 2018 |
| Heisei | 31 | 2019 (Jan–Apr) |
| Showa (昭和) | 1 | 1926 |
| Showa | 30 | 1955 |
| Showa | 50 | 1975 |
| Showa | 64 | 1989 (Jan) |
| Taisho (大正) | 1 | 1912 |
| Taisho | 15 | 1926 |
| Meiji (明治) | 1 | 1868 |
| Meiji | 45 | 1912 |
Quick Date Math
Need to add years, calculate someone's age, or convert between calendars? Our date calculator handles era conversion automatically.
→ Date Calculator
Conversion Formulas (Memorize One)
**Reiwa**: Western − 2018 (e.g., 2026 − 2018 = Reiwa 8)
**Heisei**: Western − 1988 (e.g., 2000 − 1988 = Heisei 12)
**Showa**: Western − 1925 (e.g., 1980 − 1925 = Showa 55)
**Taisho**: Western − 1911
**Meiji**: Western − 1867
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Japan still use the era system?
Both calendars coexist. Era names appear on coins, official documents, news headlines, and contracts. Most modern websites show Western years, but legal and government documents still default to era.
What's '元年' (gannen)?
It means 'the first year' of an era. So Reiwa 1 is written as 令和元年, not 令和1年. After year 1, normal numbering resumes (令和2年, 令和3年, etc.).
How do I write my birth year in Japanese forms?
Find your Western birth year, then convert: 1990 = Heisei 2, 2000 = Heisei 12, 2020 = Reiwa 2. Most forms accept either format, but era is more common.