Guide · Culture
Japanese era names (nengo): how to read the year on a ticket
Japan's official year count is the era name. 2026 is Reiwa 8. A conversion table for Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho and Meiji, plus years with two eras.
Japan’s official year count is the era name, or nengo, and the current era is Reiwa: 2026 is Reiwa 8. To turn an era year into a Western year, add 2018 for Reiwa, 1988 for Heisei, 1925 for Showa, 1911 for Taisho or 1867 for Meiji.
You will meet era years on tickets, receipts, expiry dates and forms, usually printed beside the Western year. This page sits in the Culture hub beside the history guide, which places each era on one timeline.
How do you convert an era year to a Western year?
Add the base number for the era to the era year. Subtract the same number to go the other way.
| Era | Years | Add this to the era year |
|---|---|---|
| Meiji | 1868 to 1912 | 1867 |
| Taisho | 1912 to 1926 | 1911 |
| Showa | 1926 to 1989 | 1925 |
| Heisei | 1989 to 2019 | 1988 |
| Reiwa | 2019 to today | 2018 |
These examples show the rule at work:
- Reiwa 8 is 2026, because 8 plus 2018 is 2026. A winter trip that crosses New Year moves from Reiwa 8 to Reiwa 9, and 1 January 2027 is Reiwa 9.
- Heisei 31 is 2019, the last year of Heisei.
- Showa 20 is 1945. The museums in Hiroshima and Nagasaki cover that year.
- Meiji 1 is 1868, the year the shogunate ended (Emperor vs shogun).
- To read a Western year as an era year, subtract: 2026 minus 2018 is 8.
A shortcut for Reiwa: add 18 to the era year and put 20 in front. Reiwa 8 plus 18 is 26, so 2026.
Why does Japan count years in eras?
Each reign sets a new count. Each of the five eras since 1868 has matched one emperor’s reign, per reference works: Meiji, Taisho, Showa (Hirohito), Heisei (Akihito) and Reiwa (Naruhito). A new reign starts a new era and a new count.
The two latest changes show the pattern. The Showa emperor died on 7 January 1989 and Heisei began on 8 January. Chief Cabinet Secretary Obuchi Keizo announced the name by holding up the calligraphy, per reference works. Emperor Akihito abdicated on 30 April 2019, the first abdication in about 200 years (the previous one was Kokaku in 1817, per reference works), and Reiwa began the next day, 1 May 2019, when Naruhito became emperor.
The first year of an era is called gannen (元年), not 1. A document dated in the first year of an era can show gannen in place of the number.
Which years carry two eras?
Any year in which a reign changed. The new era starts on the day of the change, so one calendar year can hold two era years.
| Year | Changeover | Era years |
|---|---|---|
| 1912 | 30 July | Meiji 45, then Taisho 1 |
| 1926 | 25 December | Taisho 15, then Showa 1 |
| 1989 | 8 January | Showa 64, then Heisei 1 |
| 2019 | 1 May | Heisei 31, then Reiwa 1 |
The Reiwa date comes from the Embassy of Japan. The earlier dates come from reference works. Showa 1 lasted one week, from 25 to 31 December 1926, and Showa 64 lasted one week, from 1 to 7 January 1989.
Meiji works differently. The era name was proclaimed on 23 October 1868, and the count is dated back to January 1868, so every month of 1868 is Meiji 1.
Which events fall in which era year?
Known event years let you check a conversion. Each row below follows the same rule: era year plus the base number gives the Western year.
| Era year | Western year | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Meiji 5 | 1872 | First railway, Shimbashi to Yokohama; Gregorian calendar adopted |
| Taisho 12 | 1923 | Great Kanto Earthquake |
| Showa 20 | 1945 | Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; surrender announcement on 15 August |
| Showa 39 | 1964 | Tokaido Shinkansen opens on 1 October; Tokyo Olympics |
| Heisei 7 | 1995 | Great Hanshin earthquake on 17 January |
| Heisei 23 | 2011 | Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March |
| Reiwa 3 | 2021 | Tokyo Olympics held |
| Reiwa 5, 6 | 2023, 2024 | Record inbound tourism, helped by a weak yen |
Dates in these rows follow general histories. The era page for each period gives the full story: Taisho and Showa covers 1923 and 1945, and Heisei and Reiwa covers 1995, 2011 and the Reiwa years.
Where will you see an era year on a trip?
On tickets, receipts, expiry dates, and bank or transit documents. Japanese forms often use era years, and the Western year is usually printed as well.
A date such as R8.4.1 reads year, month, day: Reiwa 8, month 4, day 1, which is 1 April 2026. The letter R stands for Reiwa. R1.5.1 is 1 May 2019, the first day of Reiwa. Because the Western year is usually printed too, use the table to cross-check the two when they seem to disagree.
Before you go If a document shows only an era year, convert it with the table before you rely on it. For 2019, check the month: dates before 1 May are Heisei 31 and dates from 1 May are Reiwa 1.
How did Reiwa get its name?
Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga announced it on 1 April 2019 after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, with Abe Shinzo as prime minister. The Embassy of Japan release says the name comes from the Man’yoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry, in a passage introducing plum-blossom poems. The embassy renders it in English as “beautiful harmony”.
Did Japan always use the Gregorian calendar?
No. Japan adopted it in Meiji 5, which is 1872. The National Diet Library records that 2 December of that year was followed directly by 1 January of Meiji 6, which is 1873, so about four weeks vanished from the calendar. Sources dispute the motive.
Where next?
- Meiji, Taisho and Showa and Heisei and Reiwa tell the story of each era in the table.
- The Culture hub holds every culture topic.
Quick answers
How do I convert a Japanese era year to a Western year?
Add the era's base number to the era year: 2018 for Reiwa, 1988 for Heisei, 1925 for Showa, 1911 for Taisho and 1867 for Meiji. Reiwa 8 is 2026 and Showa 20 is 1945. To go the other way, subtract the same number.
What era is it in Japan now?
Reiwa. It began on 1 May 2019, the day Naruhito became emperor after Akihito abdicated on 30 April 2019. The year 2026 is Reiwa 8.
Why can one year have two era names?
An era changes when a reign changes, and that can happen mid-year. The year 2019 was Heisei 31 until 30 April and Reiwa 1 from 1 May. The same happened in 1912, 1926 and 1989.
What does gannen mean on a Japanese document?
The first year of an era. It is written gannen (元年) instead of 1, so the first year of Reiwa is Reiwa gannen, which is 2019 from 1 May.
How did Reiwa get its name?
Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga announced it on 1 April 2019 after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting. It comes from the Man'yoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry, and the Embassy of Japan renders it as "beautiful harmony".