年齢早見表 > Japanese Era Converter
Japanese Era Converter (Wareki ⇄ Western Year)
Japanese era → Western year
Western date → Japanese era
Tip: type the year exactly as written on the document. 元年 (Gannen) means year 1.
This free converter helps you read and write Japanese calendar dates (wareki, 和暦). Japan counts years by imperial era names such as Reiwa, Heisei and Showa, and these era years appear on residence cards, health insurance and pension documents, school records, contracts and many official forms. Use the tools above, the full chart below, or the simple formulas to convert any year between 1868 and today. The page is provided by Nenrei-Hayami (年齢早見表), a Japanese age chart website used by people across Japan.
Quick formulas: era year to Western year
To go the other way, subtract the same number from the Western year: 1995 − 1988 = Heisei 7. Be careful in the change-over years (1912, 1926, 1989 and 2019), where the era depends on the exact date.
Japanese eras and their start dates
| Era | Abbr. | Started | Ended | Add to get Western year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meiji 明治 | M | 1868 (Meiji 1) | July 30, 1912 (Meiji 45) | +1867 |
| Taisho 大正 | T | July 30, 1912 | December 25, 1926 (Taisho 15) | +1911 |
| Showa 昭和 | S | December 25, 1926 | January 7, 1989 (Showa 64) | +1925 |
| Heisei 平成 | H | January 8, 1989 | April 30, 2019 (Heisei 31) | +1988 |
| Reiwa 令和 | R | May 1, 2019 | – (current era) | +2018 |
On July 30, 1912 and December 25, 1926 the era changed on the same day, so those dates can be written with either era name. Before 1873 Japan used a lunisolar calendar, so the exact start of Meiji is a historical subject; Meiji 1 is counted as 1868. Dates from 1873 onward match the Western (Gregorian) calendar.
Japanese era conversion chart (1912–2030) with ages
Ages are as of 2026: "After birthday" is the age once the birthday in 2026 has passed; "Before birthday" is one year less. Highlighted rows are change-over years.
| Year | Japanese era | Age after birthday | Age before birthday | Zodiac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Meiji 45 明治45年 Taisho 1 (Gannen) 大正元年 | 114 | 113 | Rat 子 |
| 1913 | Taisho 2 大正2年 | 113 | 112 | Ox 丑 |
| 1914 | Taisho 3 大正3年 | 112 | 111 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1915 | Taisho 4 大正4年 | 111 | 110 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1916 | Taisho 5 大正5年 | 110 | 109 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1917 | Taisho 6 大正6年 | 109 | 108 | Snake 巳 |
| 1918 | Taisho 7 大正7年 | 108 | 107 | Horse 午 |
| 1919 | Taisho 8 大正8年 | 107 | 106 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1920 | Taisho 9 大正9年 | 106 | 105 | Monkey 申 |
| 1921 | Taisho 10 大正10年 | 105 | 104 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1922 | Taisho 11 大正11年 | 104 | 103 | Dog 戌 |
| 1923 | Taisho 12 大正12年 | 103 | 102 | Boar 亥 |
| 1924 | Taisho 13 大正13年 | 102 | 101 | Rat 子 |
| 1925 | Taisho 14 大正14年 | 101 | 100 | Ox 丑 |
| 1926 | Taisho 15 大正15年 Showa 1 (Gannen) 昭和元年 | 100 | 99 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1927 | Showa 2 昭和2年 | 99 | 98 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1928 | Showa 3 昭和3年 | 98 | 97 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1929 | Showa 4 昭和4年 | 97 | 96 | Snake 巳 |
| 1930 | Showa 5 昭和5年 | 96 | 95 | Horse 午 |
| 1931 | Showa 6 昭和6年 | 95 | 94 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1932 | Showa 7 昭和7年 | 94 | 93 | Monkey 申 |
| 1933 | Showa 8 昭和8年 | 93 | 92 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1934 | Showa 9 昭和9年 | 92 | 91 | Dog 戌 |
| 1935 | Showa 10 昭和10年 | 91 | 90 | Boar 亥 |
| 1936 | Showa 11 昭和11年 | 90 | 89 | Rat 子 |
| 1937 | Showa 12 昭和12年 | 89 | 88 | Ox 丑 |
| 1938 | Showa 13 昭和13年 | 88 | 87 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1939 | Showa 14 昭和14年 | 87 | 86 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1940 | Showa 15 昭和15年 | 86 | 85 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1941 | Showa 16 昭和16年 | 85 | 84 | Snake 巳 |
| 1942 | Showa 17 昭和17年 | 84 | 83 | Horse 午 |
| 1943 | Showa 18 昭和18年 | 83 | 82 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1944 | Showa 19 昭和19年 | 82 | 81 | Monkey 申 |
| 1945 | Showa 20 昭和20年 | 81 | 80 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1946 | Showa 21 昭和21年 | 80 | 79 | Dog 戌 |
| 1947 | Showa 22 昭和22年 | 79 | 78 | Boar 亥 |
| 1948 | Showa 23 昭和23年 | 78 | 77 | Rat 子 |
| 1949 | Showa 24 昭和24年 | 77 | 76 | Ox 丑 |
| 1950 | Showa 25 昭和25年 | 76 | 75 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1951 | Showa 26 昭和26年 | 75 | 74 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1952 | Showa 27 昭和27年 | 74 | 73 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1953 | Showa 28 昭和28年 | 73 | 72 | Snake 巳 |
| 1954 | Showa 29 昭和29年 | 72 | 71 | Horse 午 |
| 1955 | Showa 30 昭和30年 | 71 | 70 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1956 | Showa 31 昭和31年 | 70 | 69 | Monkey 申 |
| 1957 | Showa 32 昭和32年 | 69 | 68 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1958 | Showa 33 昭和33年 | 68 | 67 | Dog 戌 |
| 1959 | Showa 34 昭和34年 | 67 | 66 | Boar 亥 |
| 1960 | Showa 35 昭和35年 | 66 | 65 | Rat 子 |
| 1961 | Showa 36 昭和36年 | 65 | 64 | Ox 丑 |
| 1962 | Showa 37 昭和37年 | 64 | 63 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1963 | Showa 38 昭和38年 | 63 | 62 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1964 | Showa 39 昭和39年 | 62 | 61 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1965 | Showa 40 昭和40年 | 61 | 60 | Snake 巳 |
| 1966 | Showa 41 昭和41年 | 60 | 59 | Horse 午 |
| 1967 | Showa 42 昭和42年 | 59 | 58 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1968 | Showa 43 昭和43年 | 58 | 57 | Monkey 申 |
| 1969 | Showa 44 昭和44年 | 57 | 56 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1970 | Showa 45 昭和45年 | 56 | 55 | Dog 戌 |
| 1971 | Showa 46 昭和46年 | 55 | 54 | Boar 亥 |
| 1972 | Showa 47 昭和47年 | 54 | 53 | Rat 子 |
| 1973 | Showa 48 昭和48年 | 53 | 52 | Ox 丑 |
| 1974 | Showa 49 昭和49年 | 52 | 51 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1975 | Showa 50 昭和50年 | 51 | 50 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1976 | Showa 51 昭和51年 | 50 | 49 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1977 | Showa 52 昭和52年 | 49 | 48 | Snake 巳 |
| 1978 | Showa 53 昭和53年 | 48 | 47 | Horse 午 |
| 1979 | Showa 54 昭和54年 | 47 | 46 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1980 | Showa 55 昭和55年 | 46 | 45 | Monkey 申 |
| 1981 | Showa 56 昭和56年 | 45 | 44 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1982 | Showa 57 昭和57年 | 44 | 43 | Dog 戌 |
| 1983 | Showa 58 昭和58年 | 43 | 42 | Boar 亥 |
| 1984 | Showa 59 昭和59年 | 42 | 41 | Rat 子 |
| 1985 | Showa 60 昭和60年 | 41 | 40 | Ox 丑 |
| 1986 | Showa 61 昭和61年 | 40 | 39 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1987 | Showa 62 昭和62年 | 39 | 38 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 1988 | Showa 63 昭和63年 | 38 | 37 | Dragon 辰 |
| 1989 | Showa 64 昭和64年 Heisei 1 (Gannen) 平成元年 | 37 | 36 | Snake 巳 |
| 1990 | Heisei 2 平成2年 | 36 | 35 | Horse 午 |
| 1991 | Heisei 3 平成3年 | 35 | 34 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 1992 | Heisei 4 平成4年 | 34 | 33 | Monkey 申 |
| 1993 | Heisei 5 平成5年 | 33 | 32 | Rooster 酉 |
| 1994 | Heisei 6 平成6年 | 32 | 31 | Dog 戌 |
| 1995 | Heisei 7 平成7年 | 31 | 30 | Boar 亥 |
| 1996 | Heisei 8 平成8年 | 30 | 29 | Rat 子 |
| 1997 | Heisei 9 平成9年 | 29 | 28 | Ox 丑 |
| 1998 | Heisei 10 平成10年 | 28 | 27 | Tiger 寅 |
| 1999 | Heisei 11 平成11年 | 27 | 26 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 2000 | Heisei 12 平成12年 | 26 | 25 | Dragon 辰 |
| 2001 | Heisei 13 平成13年 | 25 | 24 | Snake 巳 |
| 2002 | Heisei 14 平成14年 | 24 | 23 | Horse 午 |
| 2003 | Heisei 15 平成15年 | 23 | 22 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 2004 | Heisei 16 平成16年 | 22 | 21 | Monkey 申 |
| 2005 | Heisei 17 平成17年 | 21 | 20 | Rooster 酉 |
| 2006 | Heisei 18 平成18年 | 20 | 19 | Dog 戌 |
| 2007 | Heisei 19 平成19年 | 19 | 18 | Boar 亥 |
| 2008 | Heisei 20 平成20年 | 18 | 17 | Rat 子 |
| 2009 | Heisei 21 平成21年 | 17 | 16 | Ox 丑 |
| 2010 | Heisei 22 平成22年 | 16 | 15 | Tiger 寅 |
| 2011 | Heisei 23 平成23年 | 15 | 14 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 2012 | Heisei 24 平成24年 | 14 | 13 | Dragon 辰 |
| 2013 | Heisei 25 平成25年 | 13 | 12 | Snake 巳 |
| 2014 | Heisei 26 平成26年 | 12 | 11 | Horse 午 |
| 2015 | Heisei 27 平成27年 | 11 | 10 | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 2016 | Heisei 28 平成28年 | 10 | 9 | Monkey 申 |
| 2017 | Heisei 29 平成29年 | 9 | 8 | Rooster 酉 |
| 2018 | Heisei 30 平成30年 | 8 | 7 | Dog 戌 |
| 2019 | Heisei 31 平成31年 Reiwa 1 (Gannen) 令和元年 | 7 | 6 | Boar 亥 |
| 2020 | Reiwa 2 令和2年 | 6 | 5 | Rat 子 |
| 2021 | Reiwa 3 令和3年 | 5 | 4 | Ox 丑 |
| 2022 | Reiwa 4 令和4年 | 4 | 3 | Tiger 寅 |
| 2023 | Reiwa 5 令和5年 | 3 | 2 | Rabbit 卯 |
| 2024 | Reiwa 6 令和6年 | 2 | 1 | Dragon 辰 |
| 2025 | Reiwa 7 令和7年 | 1 | 0 | Snake 巳 |
| 2026 | Reiwa 8 令和8年 | 0 | – | Horse 午 |
| 2027 | Reiwa 9 令和9年 | – | – | Goat (Sheep) 未 |
| 2028 | Reiwa 10 令和10年 | – | – | Monkey 申 |
| 2029 | Reiwa 11 令和11年 | – | – | Rooster 酉 |
| 2030 | Reiwa 12 令和12年 | – | – | Dog 戌 |
How to read dates on Japanese documents
A Japanese date is written in the order era – year – month – day. For example, 令和8年11月5日 means Reiwa 8, November 5, which is November 5, 2026.
- 年 (nen)
- year
- 月 (gatsu)
- month
- 日 (nichi)
- day
- 元年 (gannen)
- the first year of an era
- 生年月日
- date of birth
- 西暦 (seireki)
- Western calendar year
- 和暦 (wareki)
- Japanese era year
- R / H / S / T / M
- short forms of Reiwa / Heisei / Showa / Taisho / Meiji, e.g. "S62.3.15" = Showa 62, March 15 (March 15, 1987)
Some forms print the era names and ask you to circle one, then write only the year number. Find the era of your birth year in the chart above and circle that name.
Age, school years and fiscal years in Japan
- Age: Japan uses the international way of counting age (満年齢, man-nenrei). You turn one year older on your birthday. The traditional count (数え年, kazoedoshi) is still used for some customs such as unlucky years.
- School year: Japanese schools start in April. Children born from April 2 to April 1 of the next year are in the same grade.
- Fiscal year (年度, nendo): runs from April 1 to March 31. "Reiwa 8 nendo" means April 2026 to March 2027.
Japanese zodiac (eto) by year
The 12 zodiac animals are used for New Year cards and are often mentioned with birth years. 2026 is the year of the Horse (午).
| Sign | Animal | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 子 (ne) | Rat | 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 |
| 丑 (ushi) | Ox | 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 |
| 寅 (tora) | Tiger | 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 |
| 卯 (u) | Rabbit | 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 |
| 辰 (tatsu) | Dragon | 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| 巳 (mi) | Snake | 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| 午 (uma) | Horse | 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| 未 (hitsuji) | Goat (Sheep) | 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 |
| 申 (saru) | Monkey | 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 |
| 酉 (tori) | Rooster | 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 |
| 戌 (inu) | Dog | 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 |
| 亥 (i) | Boar | 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 |
Japanese public holidays
Many Japanese forms, deadlines and office hours depend on national holidays. For the full list of holidays in 2026 and 2027 with English and Japanese names, long weekends, Golden Week and busy travel periods, see Japan Public Holidays 2026 & 2027.
Frequently asked questions
What year is it in Japan now?
It is Reiwa 8 (令和8年), which is 2026 in the Western calendar. The Reiwa era began on May 1, 2019.
How do I convert a Reiwa year to a Western year?
Add 2018 to the Reiwa year. For example, Reiwa 8 + 2018 = 2026. For Heisei add 1988, for Showa add 1925, for Taisho add 1911, and for Meiji add 1867.
What does "Gannen" (元年) mean?
Gannen means "first year." The first year of an era is written 元年 instead of 1年, for example 令和元年 (Reiwa 1 = 2019).
Why do 1926, 1989 and 2019 have two era names?
A new era starts on the day the throne passes to a new emperor, so these years are split. For example, 1989 is Showa 64 from January 1 to 7, and Heisei 1 from January 8.
Do Japanese official documents use the Western calendar?
Many government forms, residence and health insurance documents, pension records and bank forms still use the Japanese era (wareki). Most also accept Western years, but some ask you to write the era. Always follow the instructions on the form.
What do R, H, S, T and M mean on a form?
They are abbreviations of the eras: R = Reiwa, H = Heisei, S = Showa, T = Taisho, M = Meiji. "H2.4.1" means Heisei 2, April 1 (April 1, 1990).
Hi, I'm Nenhayamin! （ねんはやみん）
I'm the age guide of 年齢早見表 (Nenrei-Hayami). Use the converter at the top of this page: pick an era and a year, or a date, and I'll tell you the Western year, the age and the zodiac sign.