Japan counts years by imperial era: wareki names like Reiwa 8 sit alongside the seireki (Western) year 2026 on official forms, bank documents, and everyday life. Each era starts over at year 1, so converting means knowing which era and adding the right offset: Reiwa year + 2018, Heisei year + 1988, Showa year + 1925, Taisho year + 1911, Meiji year + 1867.
Watch the era boundaries — they are the usual source of mistakes. Reiwa 1 began on May 1, 2019, so January through April 2019 is Heisei 31, not Reiwa 1. Similarly, early January 1989 is Showa 64 before Heisei 1 begins. A converter handles these edges so you never have to think about them.
Convert in 3 steps
- Open the faymox Wareki Converter.
- Pick the era (Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho, or Meiji) and enter the year.
- Read the Western year instantly — or enter a Western year to convert back to wareki.
FAQ
What is wareki?
The Japanese imperial calendar, counting years within each emperor's era. The current era is Reiwa, which began in 2019; earlier eras are Heisei, Showa, Taisho, and Meiji.
What year is Reiwa 8?
2026. Reiwa 1 is 2019, so add 2018 to any Reiwa year: Reiwa 7 = 2025, Reiwa 8 = 2026.
What about dates before May 2019?
Reiwa started on May 1, 2019, so January 1 – April 30, 2019 belongs to Heisei 31. The converter maps these boundary dates to the correct era automatically.