📜 Japan Era Converter (Wareki ↔ Gregorian)

Japan uses two year-numbering systems side by side. The Gregorian (Western) calendar counts from year 1 AD, while the wareki (和暦) system names each year after the reigning emperor's era (元号, gengō). When Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne on 1 May 2019, Japan moved from Heisei (平成) to Reiwa (令和).

The first year of an era is called 元年 (gannen, literally "origin year") and is also written as 1年. So 2019 is both Reiwa 1 and Reiwa 元年. After that, the count simply increases: 2020 = Reiwa 2, 2026 = Reiwa 8, and so on. Official Japanese documents, bank forms, and certificates almost always print the wareki year alongside the Western one, which is why a quick converter is so useful for anyone living in, working with, or researching Japan.

The five modern eras are:

One subtlety: an era change happens mid-year. Reiwa began on 1 May 2019, so 2019 is split - 1 January to 30 April 2019 is Heisei 31, and 1 May to 31 December 2019 is Reiwa 1 (元年). Our converter treats a year number as the whole year for simplicity, which matches how most forms are filled in. For the historical background of each era name, see our gengō lookup tool.

The converter works in both directions. Gregorian to wareki: take the Western year and subtract the era's starting year, then add 1. For 2026, Reiwa started in 2019, so 2026 − 2019 + 1 = 8 → Reiwa 8 (令和8年). The tool picks the correct era automatically by checking which era range the year falls into.

Wareki to Gregorian: choose the era name and type the era year, and the tool adds (era-start − 1) to get the Western year. Reiwa 8 → 2019 + 8 − 1 = 2026. If you type 元年 or 1, it returns the era's first year.

Because the era boundary can fall inside a year, the converter is designed for whole-year conversions - the common case on forms. If you need the exact era of a specific date near a boundary (e.g. April 2019), the rule is: on or after the era's start date use the new era, before it use the previous one. You can double-check any year against our zodiac calculator or yakudoshi checker since they all share the same calendar.

1. Pick a direction: Western year to wareki, or era name + era year to Western.
2. For Western to wareki, type the Gregorian year (e.g. 2026).
3. The tool shows the era name, its reading, and the year within the era (元年 for year 1).
4. For wareki to Western, choose the era and enter the era year.
5. Use the result on forms, certificates, or when reading Japanese documents.

What does 元年 (gannen) mean?

元年 means "the first year" of an era. So Reiwa 元年 = Reiwa 1 = 2019. After the first year the count continues normally: Reiwa 2 = 2020, Reiwa 3 = 2021, and so on.

How do I convert Reiwa 8 to a Western year?

Add 2018 to the era year: 8 + 2018 = 2026. This works because Reiwa started in 2019. The same shortcut for Heisei is +1988, and for Shōwa is +1925.

Why did 2019 have two era names?

The era changed mid-year: 1 January to 30 April 2019 was Heisei 31, and from 1 May 2019 it became Reiwa 1 (元年). Our converter treats a year number as the whole year, which matches how forms are usually filled in.

What were the five modern Japanese eras?

Meiji (from 1868), Taishō (from 1912), Shōwa (from 1926), Heisei (from 1989) and Reiwa (from 2019). Each era is the reign of one emperor.

Is the wareki year the same as the Western year?

Almost always, but the two can differ for a few months right after an era change. Because the new era starts on a specific date, documents issued before that date in the same calendar year still use the previous era.

Where can I learn what each era name means?

Each gengō has a classical meaning - see our gengō lookup tool for the origin and reading of Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei and Reiwa.

On Japanese forms the wareki year is written before the Western one, e.g. 令和8年 (2026年). When you only see 令和8年 on a document, just add 2018 to the era year (8 + 2018 = 2026) - this shortcut works for Reiwa because the era started in 2019. For Heisei, add 1988; for Shōwa, add 1925. Keep in mind that 元年 always means year 1, so a certificate reading 平成元年 is 1989.

If you are reading an older document with 昭和 (Shōwa), remember the era ran from 1926 to 1989 - Shōwa 64 is 1989, the year it ended and Heisei began. The wareki system is also why Japanese people often refer to events by era, such as 昭和の日 (Shōwa Day, 29 April). For event-planning that depends on Japanese dates, pair this with our public holiday checker and the rokuyō calendar.