Guide · Culture
Heisei and Reiwa (1989 to today): disaster, abdication and a new era
Three decades of Heisei and the Reiwa years so far: the bubble's end, the 1995 and 2011 disasters and the 2019 abdication. Memorial sites to visit.
Heisei (1989 to 2019) and Reiwa (from 2019) took Japan through the bursting of the bubble economy, two major earthquakes and the first abdication in about 200 years. Heisei began on 8 January 1989, the day after the Showa emperor died, when Chief Cabinet Secretary Obuchi Keizo announced the name by holding up the calligraphy, per reference works. Reiwa began on 1 May 2019.
It follows Taisho and Showa and is the last of the era pages. The history guide places every era on one timeline.
When were Heisei and Reiwa?
Heisei ran from 8 January 1989 to 30 April 2019, and Reiwa began on 1 May 2019. The first year of an era is called gannen, not 1.
To turn a Western year into an era year, subtract 1988 for Heisei or 2018 for Reiwa. 1995 is Heisei 7, 2011 is Heisei 23 and 2026 is Reiwa 8. Japanese era names explains the system.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 7 Jan 1989 | The Showa emperor dies; Heisei begins on 8 January |
| Early 1990s | The bubble bursts; the lost decades of low growth begin |
| 17 Jan 1995 | Great Hanshin earthquake, Kobe |
| 20 Mar 1995 | Tokyo subway sarin attack |
| 11 Mar 2011 | Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi accident |
| 30 Apr 2019 | Emperor Akihito abdicates |
| 1 May 2019 | Reiwa begins |
| 2020 | COVID-19 |
| 2021 | The Tokyo Olympics are held |
| 2023 to 2024 | Record inbound tourism, with a weak yen |
What were the turning points of Heisei?
Three, per general histories. The first was economic. The bubble burst in the early 1990s and began what are called the lost decades of low growth.
The second was 1995. The Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe on 17 January, and the Tokyo subway sarin attack followed on 20 March.
The third was 11 March 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake, the tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi accident struck. Heisei ended eight years later, in 2019.
Why did 2019 have two era names?
Because Emperor Akihito abdicated on 30 April 2019, and Reiwa began the next day. So 2019 was Heisei 31 until 30 April and Reiwa 1 from 1 May.
Per reference works, the abdication was the first in about 200 years; the last was by Kokaku in 1817. Crown Prince Naruhito became emperor on 1 May 2019. The name had been announced on 1 April 2019 by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga, after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, with Abe Shinzo as prime minister.
The Embassy of Japan says Reiwa is taken from the Man’yoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry, from the introduction to a set of plum-blossom poems. It renders the name “beautiful harmony”.
What has Reiwa brought so far?
Reiwa is in its eighth year in 2026. COVID-19 arrived in 2020, and the Tokyo Olympics were held in 2021. Inbound tourism reached records in 2023 and 2024, alongside a weak yen, per general histories.
What changed for ordinary people?
Five things show in the general histories.
- Phones and internet: mobile phones and the internet became everyday tools.
- Shops: convenience stores and vending machines became part of the daily routine.
- Population: the society aged and the population began to shrink.
- Disasters: preparing for disaster became part of everyday life.
- Payment: payment shifted towards cashless.
What do Heisei and Reiwa mean for a traveller?
You meet the era on paper. Tickets, receipts, expiry dates and forms may show an era year such as R8.4.1, and the Western year usually appears too. If a date looks wrong, convert it: add 2018 to a Reiwa year, or 1988 to a Heisei year.
The cashless shift reaches visitors at the till. Japan money, IC cards and eSIM covers how to pay. Japan safety and etiquette gives the visitor side of disaster safety.
What can you see today?
Memorial museums keep the record of the 1995 and 2011 disasters.
| Place | City | What you see | Fee | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe institution | Kobe | The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, the memorial for the 1995 earthquake | Not found | Not found |
| Tohoku museums | Iwate and Miyagi | Memorial museums for the 2011 earthquake and tsunami | Not found | Not found |
Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s museums belong to Showa, and they are on Taisho and Showa.
Where next?
- Hiroshima and Nagasaki museums covers the postwar memory sites.
- The Culture hub holds every culture topic, and the culture guide gives the overview.
Questions
Heisei began on 8 January 1989, the day after the Showa emperor died on 7 January. Reiwa began on 1 May 2019, the day Crown Prince Naruhito became emperor after Emperor Akihito abdicated on 30 April 2019.
The Embassy of Japan renders it as "beautiful harmony". The name was announced on 1 April 2019 by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga and is taken from the Man'yoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry.
Reiwa 8. Subtract 2018 from a Western year to get the Reiwa year, so 2019 is Reiwa 1. For Heisei subtract 1988: 1995 is Heisei 7 and 2011 is Heisei 23.
In 1817, by Emperor Kokaku. Emperor Akihito's abdication on 30 April 2019 was the first in about 200 years, per reference encyclopaedia entries.
Yes. The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution in Kobe records the Great Hanshin earthquake of 17 January 1995, and memorial museums in Iwate and Miyagi record the Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011. Fees and hours were not found, so check each museum's official page.