Japanese calendar: era years
Today, Saturday, 14 November 2026, is 14 November, Reiwa 8 in the Japanese calendar (令和8年11月14日). Japan uses the Gregorian months and days, but counts the years by the era of the emperor: Reiwa began on 1 May 2019.
Japanese date today
14 November, Reiwa 8
令和8年11月14日
Saturday, 14 November 2026
- Era
- Reiwa (令和), since 1 May 2019
- Year
- Reiwa 8 = 2026
Japanese era converter
Holidays in Japan in the next 12 months
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 23 November, Reiwa 8 | Labor Thanksgiving Dayin 9 days |
| 1 January, Reiwa 9 | New Year's Dayin 48 days |
| 11 January, Reiwa 9 | Coming of Age Dayin 58 days |
| 11 February, Reiwa 9 | Foundation Dayin 89 days |
| 23 February, Reiwa 9 | Emperor's Birthdayin 101 days |
| 21 March, Reiwa 9 | Vernal Equinox Dayin 127 days |
| 22 March, Reiwa 9 | Substitute Holidayin 128 days |
| 29 April, Reiwa 9 | Showa Dayin 166 days |
| 3 May, Reiwa 9 | Constitution Dayin 170 days |
| 4 May, Reiwa 9 | Greenery Dayin 171 days |
| 5 May, Reiwa 9 | Children's Dayin 172 days |
| 19 July, Reiwa 9 | Marine Dayin 247 days |
| 11 August, Reiwa 9 | Mountain Dayin 270 days |
| 20 September, Reiwa 9 | Respect for the Aged Dayin 310 days |
| 23 September, Reiwa 9 | Autumnal Equinox Dayin 313 days |
| 11 October, Reiwa 9 | Sports Dayin 331 days |
| 3 November, Reiwa 9 | Culture Dayin 354 days |
Japan’s national holidays. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day is a substitute holiday.
Japanese eras since 1868
| Era | From | To | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reiwa 令和 | 1 May 2019 | today | 8 |
| Heisei 平成 | 8 January 1989 | 30 April 2019 | 31 |
| Shōwa 昭和 | 25 December 1926 | 7 January 1989 | 64 |
| Taishō 大正 | 30 July 1912 | 24 December 1926 | 15 |
| Meiji 明治 | 23 October 1868 | 29 July 1912 | 45 |
Since 1868 each emperor has had one era. Meiji began under the old lunisolar calendar; Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar on 1 January 1873 (Meiji 6).
Japanese year chart
Reiwa (令和)
- 2019 Reiwa 1
- 2020 Reiwa 2
- 2021 Reiwa 3
- 2022 Reiwa 4
- 2023 Reiwa 5
- 2024 Reiwa 6
- 2025 Reiwa 7
- 2026 Reiwa 8
- 2027 Reiwa 9
- 2028 Reiwa 10
- 2029 Reiwa 11
- 2030 Reiwa 12
- 2031 Reiwa 13
- 2032 Reiwa 14
- 2033 Reiwa 15
- 2034 Reiwa 16
- 2035 Reiwa 17
- 2036 Reiwa 18
Heisei (平成)
- 1989 Heisei 1
- 1990 Heisei 2
- 1991 Heisei 3
- 1992 Heisei 4
- 1993 Heisei 5
- 1994 Heisei 6
- 1995 Heisei 7
- 1996 Heisei 8
- 1997 Heisei 9
- 1998 Heisei 10
- 1999 Heisei 11
- 2000 Heisei 12
- 2001 Heisei 13
- 2002 Heisei 14
- 2003 Heisei 15
- 2004 Heisei 16
- 2005 Heisei 17
- 2006 Heisei 18
- 2007 Heisei 19
- 2008 Heisei 20
- 2009 Heisei 21
- 2010 Heisei 22
- 2011 Heisei 23
- 2012 Heisei 24
- 2013 Heisei 25
- 2014 Heisei 26
- 2015 Heisei 27
- 2016 Heisei 28
- 2017 Heisei 29
- 2018 Heisei 30
- 2019 Heisei 31
Shōwa (昭和)
- 1926 Shōwa 1
- 1927 Shōwa 2
- 1928 Shōwa 3
- 1929 Shōwa 4
- 1930 Shōwa 5
- 1931 Shōwa 6
- 1932 Shōwa 7
- 1933 Shōwa 8
- 1934 Shōwa 9
- 1935 Shōwa 10
- 1936 Shōwa 11
- 1937 Shōwa 12
- 1938 Shōwa 13
- 1939 Shōwa 14
- 1940 Shōwa 15
- 1941 Shōwa 16
- 1942 Shōwa 17
- 1943 Shōwa 18
- 1944 Shōwa 19
- 1945 Shōwa 20
- 1946 Shōwa 21
- 1947 Shōwa 22
- 1948 Shōwa 23
- 1949 Shōwa 24
- 1950 Shōwa 25
- 1951 Shōwa 26
- 1952 Shōwa 27
- 1953 Shōwa 28
- 1954 Shōwa 29
- 1955 Shōwa 30
- 1956 Shōwa 31
- 1957 Shōwa 32
- 1958 Shōwa 33
- 1959 Shōwa 34
- 1960 Shōwa 35
- 1961 Shōwa 36
- 1962 Shōwa 37
- 1963 Shōwa 38
- 1964 Shōwa 39
- 1965 Shōwa 40
- 1966 Shōwa 41
- 1967 Shōwa 42
- 1968 Shōwa 43
- 1969 Shōwa 44
- 1970 Shōwa 45
- 1971 Shōwa 46
- 1972 Shōwa 47
- 1973 Shōwa 48
- 1974 Shōwa 49
- 1975 Shōwa 50
- 1976 Shōwa 51
- 1977 Shōwa 52
- 1978 Shōwa 53
- 1979 Shōwa 54
- 1980 Shōwa 55
- 1981 Shōwa 56
- 1982 Shōwa 57
- 1983 Shōwa 58
- 1984 Shōwa 59
- 1985 Shōwa 60
- 1986 Shōwa 61
- 1987 Shōwa 62
- 1988 Shōwa 63
- 1989 Shōwa 64
Taishō (大正)
- 1912 Taishō 1
- 1913 Taishō 2
- 1914 Taishō 3
- 1915 Taishō 4
- 1916 Taishō 5
- 1917 Taishō 6
- 1918 Taishō 7
- 1919 Taishō 8
- 1920 Taishō 9
- 1921 Taishō 10
- 1922 Taishō 11
- 1923 Taishō 12
- 1924 Taishō 13
- 1925 Taishō 14
- 1926 Taishō 15
Meiji (明治)
- 1900 Meiji 33
- 1901 Meiji 34
- 1902 Meiji 35
- 1903 Meiji 36
- 1904 Meiji 37
- 1905 Meiji 38
- 1906 Meiji 39
- 1907 Meiji 40
- 1908 Meiji 41
- 1909 Meiji 42
- 1910 Meiji 43
- 1911 Meiji 44
- 1912 Meiji 45
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese date today?
Today, Saturday, 14 November 2026, is 14 November, Reiwa 8 in the Japanese calendar, written 令和8年11月14日.
What year is it in Japan?
It is 2026, which is Reiwa 8 (令和8年) in the Japanese era calendar. The Reiwa era began on 1 May 2019, when Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne.
How do I convert a Japanese era year to a Western year?
Add the year before the era began: Reiwa + 2018, Heisei + 1988, Shōwa + 1925, Taishō + 1911, Meiji + 1867. For example, Heisei 10 is 1998 and Shōwa 50 is 1975. In a year when the era changed, the date decides: 1989 is Shōwa 64 until 7 January and Heisei 1 from 8 January.
What does gannen (元年) mean?
Gannen is the first year of an era, written 元年 instead of 1年: 令和元年 is Reiwa 1 (2019). The second year is written 2年 as usual.
When does the Japanese era change?
Only when a new emperor ascends the throne: since 1868 each emperor has had one era. The government announces the name shortly before. Reiwa was announced on 1 April 2019 and began on 1 May 2019, the day after Emperor Akihito abdicated.
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