Japanese Calendar Converter

Convert any date between the Gregorian calendar and the Japanese era system (年号, nengō). Enter a Gregorian year or select a Japanese era with its era year, choose your conversion direction, and get back the converted year, era name (Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho, or Meiji), era start date, and the Japanese kanji notation — covering imperial eras from Meiji (1868) through the current Reiwa period.

Enter a year between 1868 (start of Meiji) and 2100

Enter the year number within the selected era (1 = Gannen)

Results

Converted Year

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Era Name

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Era Year Number

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Kanji Notation

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Era Start Year (AD)

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First Year Note

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Results Table

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Japanese era system (nengō)?

The Japanese era system (年号, nengō) assigns a name to each imperial reign. Since the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan has used the 'one reign, one era' principle (一世一元), meaning each emperor has exactly one era name. The current era is Reiwa (令和), which began on May 1, 2019, when Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne.

What does 'Gannen' (元年) mean?

Gannen (元年) means 'first year' of an era. Rather than saying 'Reiwa 1,' Japanese convention uses 'Reiwa Gannen' for the inaugural year of any new era. This converter displays that notation when the era year equals 1.

Which Japanese eras does this converter cover?

This tool covers five modern eras: Meiji (明治, 1868–1912), Taisho (大正, 1912–1926), Showa (昭和, 1926–1989), Heisei (平成, 1989–2019), and Reiwa (令和, 2019–present). Era transitions occurred mid-year, so 1912 was both Meiji 45 and Taisho 1, and 1989 was both Showa 64 and Heisei 1.

Why can't I convert a Japanese era year without selecting the specific era?

Multiple eras can share the same year number — for example, 'Year 1' applies to Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa. Without knowing which era you mean, the Gregorian year is ambiguous. You must select the specific era so the converter can calculate the correct AD year.

How does the Gregorian-to-Japanese conversion work?

The converter checks which era's date range contains your entered Gregorian year. It then subtracts the era's start year from your input and adds 1 to get the era year number. For example, 2024 falls in Reiwa (started 2019), so 2024 − 2019 + 1 = Reiwa 6.

Why does Japan use two calendar systems?

Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, but the imperial era system predates it by centuries. Both systems are used in parallel today — the Gregorian calendar is standard for international and everyday use, while the nengō system appears on official government documents, coins, and formal occasions.

What year is it in the Japanese calendar right now?

As of 2025, it is Reiwa 7 (令和7年). Reiwa began on May 1, 2019, so you subtract 2018 from the Gregorian year: 2025 − 2018 = 7. Each new calendar year (January 1) advances the era year by one, even though Reiwa technically began in May.

Are there era years that fall in two different Gregorian years?

No — each era year corresponds to a single Gregorian calendar year (January–December), even though the era itself may have started mid-year. For instance, Reiwa 1 covers all of 2019, not just May–December 2019. The new era year increments on January 1, not on the anniversary of the era's start.

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