Japanese Date Converter
Convert dates between the Gregorian calendar and Japan's modern Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa era notation.
Converted date
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- Gregorian (ISO)
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- Japanese era
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- Abbreviated
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The first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen).
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How Japanese era date conversion works
Japanese era notation, or wareki, counts years from the start of an emperor's era. Reiwa began on May 1, 2019, so 2024 is Reiwa 6 after that year's anniversary-independent year count.
An era's first calendar year is commonly written gannen, using 元 instead of the numeral 1. This converter therefore displays May 1, 2019 as 令和元年5月1日 while retaining year 1 in the abbreviated form R1.5.1.
Era changes happen on exact dates, not at the start of a Gregorian year. The converter checks the full date against the modern boundaries: Meiji from January 25, 1868; Taishō from July 30, 1912; Shōwa from December 25, 1926; Heisei from January 8, 1989; and Reiwa from May 1, 2019.
Era year = Gregorian year − era start year + 1 This tool covers the five modern eras from Meiji onward. Historical Japanese calendars and dates before January 25, 1868 are outside its scope.
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan: Era name changed to Reiwa ↗National Diet Library: The Japanese Calendar ↗
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese date format?
Era dates usually place the era name first, followed by year, month, and day, such as 令和6年3月12日. Gregorian dates in Japan also commonly follow year-month-day order.
What does gannen mean?
Gannen means the first year of an era. In full Japanese notation it is written 元年 instead of 1年.
Is all of 2019 Reiwa 1?
No. Heisei 31 ended on April 30, 2019, and Reiwa 1 began on May 1, 2019. This converter checks that exact boundary.
What year is Reiwa 6?
Reiwa 6 is 2024. For Reiwa dates, add 2018 to the era year, then verify that the full date falls on or after the era's start.
Does this converter handle dates before Meiji?
No. It supports modern era dates from January 25, 1868 onward and does not model historical lunisolar calendars or earlier eras.