Japanese Era Converter (Wareki ⇔ Western Year)
Convert between Western years and Japanese era years (Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho, Meiji) from a year or a date of birth. With zodiac animal, age, and a quick reference table.
1. Enter a year
Enter a Western or Japanese era year and it converts right away. Add the month and day to get the right era even in a year when the era changed.
Paste a date as it is written on a document, such as H12.4.1, 平成12年4月1日, Heisei 12 or 2026/10/24.
Convert
Month and day (optional)
In years when the era changed, such as 1989 and 2019, add the month and day to see which era a date belongs to.
2. Results
Use the copy buttons to copy each result.
- Japanese era
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- Western calendar
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- Day of the week
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- Chinese zodiac
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- Age (after this year’s birthday)
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Forms for Japanese documents
Ways of writing the date that you can copy straight into Japanese forms.
- Japanese era (kanji)
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- Japanese era (short)
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- Western (kanji)
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- Western (numbers)
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Everything is calculated on this device. The numbers you enter are never sent anywhere.
The zodiac animal changes on January 1 (the same way as for New Year’s cards in Japan).
3. Quick reference table
Western years, Japanese era years, zodiac animals and ages from Meiji 1 to this year.
| Western | Japanese era | Age |
|---|
Ages are as of this year’s birthday. Before the birthday, subtract 1.
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How to use
1. Enter a Western year
Leave “Convert” set to “Western → Japanese” and type a year in the “Western year” box. The Japanese era year, zodiac animal and age appear in “Results” below as you type. For a year when the era changed, such as 1989, both eras and the changeover date are shown.
On the left, leave “Convert” set to “Western → Japanese” and type a year in the “Western year” box. The Japanese era year, zodiac animal and age appear in “Results” on the right as you type. For a year when the era changed, such as 1989, both eras and the changeover date are shown.
2. Add the month and day
Fill in “Month” and “Day” under “Month and day (optional)” to get the Japanese date in the era in effect on that day. The age also becomes your exact age today. Tap “Today” to fill in today’s date.
Fill in “Month” and “Day” under “Month and day (optional)” to get the Japanese date in the era in effect on that day. The age also becomes your exact age today. Click “Today” to fill in today’s date.
3. Convert a Japanese year to Western
Tap “Japanese → Western” at the top, choose an era under “Era”, and type the year in the box below. The Western year appears in “Results” below. For the first year of an era, enter “1” or “元”.
Click “Japanese → Western” at the top, choose an era under “Era”, and type the year in the box below. The Western year appears in “Results” on the right. For the first year of an era, enter “1” or “元”.
4. Look it up in the table
The “Quick reference table” at the bottom lists the Western year, Japanese era year, zodiac animal and age for every year from Meiji 1 to this year. Choose an era in “Filter by era” to show only that era’s years. Swipe up and down to scroll the table.
The “Quick reference table” at the bottom lists the Western year, Japanese era year, zodiac animal and age for every year from Meiji 1 to this year. Choose an era in “Filter by era” to show only that era’s years. The row for the year you converted above is highlighted.
5. Paste a written date
Type or paste a date as it is written into “Convert a written date” at the top, such as H12.4.1, 平成12年4月1日 or 2026/10/24. The era, year, month and day are filled in, and the day of the week appears. Under “Forms for Japanese documents” below, copy each way of writing the date.
Type or paste a date as it is written into “Convert a written date” at the top, such as H12.4.1, 平成12年4月1日 or 2026/10/24. The era, year, month and day are filled in, and the day of the week appears. Under “Forms for Japanese documents” on the right, copy each way of writing the date.
Great for
Writing your date of birth in the Japanese calendar on a résumé or application
Enter your Western date of birth to see right away whether it’s Showa or Heisei, which year, and your exact age now.
Job seekers filling in Japanese forms
Dating official paperwork in Reiwa
Click “Today” to see today’s date in Reiwa. Copy it straight into the date field of a contract or an application to a Japanese office.
Anyone filling in forms in Japan
Organizing documents dated in the Japanese calendar
Convert Japanese years like “Heisei 12” or “S50” to Western years. The changeover dates for years when the era changed are shown too, so you won’t mix them up.
Accounting, admin and HR staff
Looking up ages and zodiac animals in one list
Compare the Japanese era year, zodiac animal and this year’s age for each birth year in the quick reference table. Handy for New Year’s cards or working out family members’ ages.
People writing New Year’s cards or checking family ages
Good to know before you start
- Eras before Meiji (such as Keio or Tenpo) aren’t supported.
- Japan used the lunar calendar until Meiji 5 (1872), so month and day can’t be converted for those years. Only the year is converted.
- It doesn’t calculate traditional East Asian age (kazoedoshi) or school entry and graduation years.
How to convert between Japanese era years and Western years
To turn a Japanese era year into a Western year, add a fixed number for each era: 2018 for Reiwa, 1988 for Heisei, 1925 for Showa, 1911 for Taisho and 1867 for Meiji (Reiwa 8 → 2026). To go from a Western year to a Japanese era year, subtract the same number.
Watch out for years when the era changed partway through. In 1989, January 1–7 was Showa 64, and from January 8 it was Heisei 1. In 2019, it was Heisei 31 until April 30, and Reiwa 1 from May 1. For those years, enter the month and day to get the correct era.
FAQ
Answers to common questions about converting between Japanese era years and Western years.
Are the years or dates of birth I enter sent anywhere?
No. Everything is converted in the browser on your device, and the numbers you enter are never sent to a server.
Is 1989 Showa 64 or Heisei 1?
Up to January 7 it was Showa 64, and from January 8 it was Heisei 1. Enter the month and day under “Month and day (optional)” to get the era in effect on that date.
Is 2019 Heisei 31 or Reiwa 1?
Up to April 30 it was Heisei 31, and from May 1 it was Reiwa 1. Someone born on April 1, 2019 was born in Heisei 31, and someone born on May 1, 2019 in Reiwa 1.
How do I enter the first year of an era (gannen)?
Choose an era under “Japanese → Western” and enter “1” or “元” in the year box. In Japanese, the first year is written as “元年” (gannen), as in 令和元年 (Reiwa 1).
What Western year is “Showa 100”?
Showa ended in year 64 (January 7, 1989), so this tool won’t accept it. If it had continued, adding 1925 to the Showa year would give 2025.
Which is correct: Meiji 45, July 30 or Taisho 1, July 30?
The era changed during that day, so you’ll see July 30 written both ways. This tool treats July 30 as the first day of Taisho 1. The same goes for December 25, Showa 1 (Taisho 15, December 25).
Can I convert dates from the early Meiji era?
The year, yes. Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar on January 1, Meiji 6 (1873). Until Meiji 5 it used the lunar calendar, so the months and days don’t line up with the Western calendar. For years up to 1872, only the year is converted, not the month and day.
When does the zodiac animal change?
This tool changes it on January 1 (the same way as for New Year’s cards in Japan). In fortune-telling, it’s sometimes counted from Risshun, the start of spring (around February 4), so if you were born in January or February, double-check.
How is age counted?
It’s your age in full years. Without a month and day, it shows your age after this year’s birthday (one less before the birthday). With a month and day, it shows your exact age as of today. Traditional East Asian age (kazoedoshi) isn’t shown.
Does it show short forms like “R7” or “H31”?
Yes. Below the Japanese era result, it shows the abbreviation with R (Reiwa), H (Heisei), S (Showa), T (Taisho) or M (Meiji), along with the kanji form such as 令和8年. Use them when a form asks for the short form or for Japanese.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up, and no ads.
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