Japanese era converter
Enter a year or choose a date to see the year in the Japanese era (和暦, wareki), or choose an era and its year to see the Western year.
How to useWhat year is it in the Japanese era?
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Japanese era converter: what it is for
Japan uses, alongside the Western calendar, the imperial era count (和暦, wareki), which appears on documents, forms and cards. The tool converts a year or a full date to the Japanese era, with the name in kanji and the abbreviation used on forms, such as R8 for Reiwa 8.
It also converts back from the era to the Western year and shows a timeline and a table with the start date and length of each era since 1868.
How to use
- Choose the type of conversion.
- Enter the year, the date or the era and its year.
- See the result in English and in kanji.
When to use it
- Filling in Japanese forms and documents.
- Reading dates on residence cards and contracts.
- Finding the Western year of a wareki date.
Frequently asked questions
How do Japanese eras work?
Each era starts when a new emperor takes the throne, and the first year is called gannen (元年), year 1. The Reiwa era began on May 1, 2019, so 2019 is Reiwa 1 and 2026 is Reiwa 8.
Why can one year have two eras?
Because the change happens in the middle of the year. In 2019, it was Heisei 31 until April 30 and Reiwa 1 from May 1. To get the exact era, use the full date option.
Is it really free?
Yes, 100% free. No sign-up, no subscription and no usage limits. All Tools123 are free.