Japanese era converter
Month and day are optional. Add them for the exact era, age and school years.
Result
Convert a Western year or date to the Japanese era (和暦) and back. Transition years such as 1989 show both readings, the first year is written 元年, and with a full birth date you also get your age, zodiac year and the entrance and graduation years for a Japanese CV.
Questions
Why does 1989 have two era years?
Emperor Shōwa died on 7 January 1989. 1–7 January is Shōwa 64 and from 8 January it is Heisei 1. 2019 is similar: Heisei 31 until 30 April, Reiwa 1 from 1 May.
What does 元年 (gannen) mean?
It is the first year of an era. Japanese documents write 令和元年, not 令和1年; from the second year on, numbers are used.
How are the school years calculated?
Children start elementary school in the April after their sixth birthday. Anyone born 1 January – 1 April (早生まれ) starts with the class born the previous year.