163 Japanese era years — 1989 is both Shōwa 64 and Heisei 1
Turning an era year into a Western one is a single addition. The hard part is the year an era changes — there are four years that carry two era names at once. Every year that actually existed under all five eras is worked out here.
- Meiji (明治)+1867 · 1868–1912
- Taishō (大正)+1911 · 1912–1926
- Shōwa (昭和)+1925 · 1926–1989
- Heisei (平成)+1988 · 1989–2019
- Reiwa (令和)+2018 · 2019–
Converting is one addition
Each era has a fixed number to add: 1867 for Meiji, 1911 for Taishō, 1925 for Shōwa, 1988 for Heisei, 2018 for Reiwa. Reiwa 6 is 6 + 2018 = 2024. The numbers differ not because the rule differs but because the eras began in different years — in every era, year one sits on the year it began.
The first year is not “1”, it is gannen
Japanese documents write the first year of an era as 元年 (gannen), not 1. It is 令和元年, never 令和1年. The value counts as one in arithmetic but is written differently, which is where transcriptions usually go wrong.
The year of a change carries both names
1912 is Meiji 45 and Taishō 1; 1926 is Taishō 15 and Shōwa 1; 1989 is Shōwa 64 and Heisei 1; 2019 is Heisei 31 and Reiwa 1. In all four, neither label is wrong — only the date within the year decides which era applies.
Same day or next day
Meiji to Taishō and Taishō to Shōwa changed **on the same day**, so one calendar day belongs to both eras: 30 July 1912 is Meiji 45-07-30 and Taishō 1-07-30 at once. Shōwa to Heisei and Heisei to Reiwa changed **the next day**, so a single day separates them: Shōwa 64 ends on 7 January and Heisei 1 begins on the 8th.
Reiwa is still running
The Reiwa rows here run only as far as the years that have already passed; a new one appears each year. The four earlier eras are closed, so their counts will not grow — Meiji ends at 45, Taishō at 15, Shōwa at 64, Heisei at 31.
Find it by era
Western year
Meiji (明治)Number to add +1867
Taishō (大正)Number to add +1911
Shōwa (昭和)Number to add +1925
Heisei (平成)Number to add +1988
Reiwa (令和)Number to add +2018
How to read this
- Western year = era year + a fixed number (Meiji 1867, Taishō 1911, Shōwa 1925, Heisei 1988, Reiwa 2018).
- The first year is written 元年 (gannen), not 1.
- A year in which the era changed carries two era names; only the date settles it.
- Meiji and Taishō began on the same day as the previous era ended; Shōwa onward, the next day.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What year is Reiwa 6?
2024. For Reiwa you add 2018 to the era year.
Q. How far did Heisei run?
To Heisei 31. It ended on 30 April 2019 and Reiwa began the next day.
Q. How long was Shōwa 64?
Seven days, from 1 to 7 January 1989. From the 8th it was Heisei 1.
Q. Why is the first year written 元年?
That is the Japanese word for an era’s opening year. It counts as one in arithmetic but documents write 元年.
Q. How do I convert the other way?
Subtract the era’s number from the Western year: 2024 − 2018 = 6, so Reiwa 6.