What Japanese Era Were You Born In? – Japanese Era Timeline

みなさん、こんにちは！Today’s topic is 「元号 (gengō / Japanese era)」! If you are intending to visit or live in Japan, it’s really important to know what 元号 is and how it works.

In Japan, a calendar year can be expressed in the Gregorian calendar (e.g. 2022) or using the Japanese era calendar scheme called 元号 (gengō). When you fill in an official document in Japan, you often find a section for 元号.

Table of contents

System of Gengo
Edo period
Meiji period
Taisho Period
Shōwa period
Heisei period
Reiwa – Current era

System of Gengo

The first gengō 大化 (Taika) was adopted in the western year of 645 and there has been 248 gengōs including the current one, 令和 (Reiwa).

Since 明治 (Meji) onwards, a new era name was adopted to mark the accession of a new emperor. Before that, it was also common to change the gengō on other occasions such as a bad harvest or a wake of a natural disaster.

During the Meiji period, the government adopted the ‘One Reign, One Era Name’ practice, meaning a new era is adopted when the country has a new emperor.

Edo period

Edo period is Japan’s pre-modern era, which lasted from 1603 to 1867. This was before the ‘One Reign, One Era Name’ practice was adopted, and there are 36 gengōs in the Edo period.

Meiji period

The modern age in Japan is considered to have started in Meiji period. Meiji started in 1867, when Emperor Meiji was only 14 years old when he came to power. Japan went through a drastic revolution in this era. This era lasted for 45 years.

If you know るろうに剣心 (Rurouni Kenshin), this series takes place in this era.

Taisho Period

Taisho era only lasted for 15 years (1912 to 1926). Taisho period saw some shifts towards democracy.

鬼滅の刃 (Kimetsu no Yaiba) series takes place in this era.

Shōwa period

Shōwa period is the longest Japanese era to date, starting in 1926 and ending in 1989. This era saw from World War 2 to the bubble economy.

Heisei period

This era was peaceful compared to the previous ones. Actually, the name Heisei translates to ‘peace everywhere’. This era was between 1989 and 2019. It started with a strong economic growth until Japan’s bubble economy burst in early 1990s. Japan struggled economically afterwards and this era is often referred to as ‘lost decades’.

Reiwa – Current era

Reiwa era started in 2019. The Ministry of Foreign Affair of Japan explains the meaning of the ear’s name as ‘beautiful harmony’.