How to read Japanese dates
Coins, official documents, licenses, vintage collectibles — Japanese dates follow a few simple rules. Learn them once and you can read any modern date.
1. The date order is year → month → day
A full Japanese date reads largest unit first:
令和8年7月20日
令和8年 = Reiwa year 8 (2026), 7月 = month 7, 20日 = day 20 → July 20, 2026. The counters are 年 (year), 月 (month), 日 (day).
2. Convert the era year with one addition
| Era | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reiwa 令和 | + 2018 | Reiwa 8 → 2026 |
| Heisei 平成 | + 1988 | Heisei 15 → 2003 |
| Shōwa 昭和 | + 1925 | Shōwa 45 → 1970 |
| Taishō 大正 | + 1911 | Taishō 10 → 1921 |
| Meiji 明治 | + 1867 | Meiji 33 → 1900 |
Or skip the math — use the converter.
3. Kanji numerals: reading 四十五 as 45
Coins and formal documents often write numbers in kanji. The system is positional around 十 (ten):
| Kanji | Value | Kanji | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | 1 | 十 | 10 |
| 二 | 2 | 二十 | 20 |
| 三 | 3 | 四十五 | 45 (4×10+5) |
| 四 | 4 | 六十四 | 64 (6×10+4) |
| 五 | 5 | 元 | year 1 (gannen) |
So 昭和四十五年 = Shōwa 45 = 1970, and 令和元年 = Reiwa 1 = 2019. The first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen, "origin year"), never 一年.
4. One-letter era abbreviations: R8, H15, S45
Japanese forms, driver's licenses, and IDs often shorten the era to its initial Latin letter:
- R = Reiwa → R8 = 2026
- H = Heisei → H15 = 2003
- S = Shōwa → S45 = 1970
- T = Taishō → T10 = 1921
- M = Meiji → M33 = 1900
A birth date like S50.3.14 on a license means Shōwa 50, March 14 → March 14, 1975.
5. Watch out for era-change years
Four calendar years belong to two eras, because the era changed mid-year:
| Year | First part | Second part |
|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Meiji 45 (Jan 1 – Jul 29) | Taishō 1 (from Jul 30) |
| 1926 | Taishō 15 (Jan 1 – Dec 24) | Shōwa 1 (from Dec 25) |
| 1989 | Shōwa 64 (Jan 1 – Jan 7) | Heisei 1 (from Jan 8) |
| 2019 | Heisei 31 (Jan 1 – Apr 30) | Reiwa 1 (from May 1) |
This is why Shōwa 64 coins (minted in just the first seven days of 1989) are popular with collectors, and why some 1926 items say Taishō 15 while others say Shōwa 1.
6. Two historical caveats
Before 1873: Japan used a lunar calendar until January 1, 1873 (Meiji 6), so Gregorian dates for early Meiji records are approximations of the historical record.
Before 1868: more than 240 historical era names were used, and eras changed for many reasons besides imperial succession. Those need specialized tables and are outside this site's scope.