Enter the full date if you can: era boundaries fall mid-year (8 Jan 1989, 1 May 2019).
Enter a date or an era year and the conversion appears here.
Enter a date to see the Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho or Meiji year, or go the other way from an era year. Changeover years show both eras, and the zodiac animal and age come along.
FAQ
Should a CV use Gregorian or era years?
Either is acceptable, but be consistent within one document. Education, employment and qualification dates mixed between the two cannot be put in order by the reader. Follow the employer's instruction where there is one.
Is the zodiac sign right for a birth year?
It is the branch corresponding to the Gregorian year. Some traditions start the zodiac year at the lunar new year or at setsubun, so people born in January or early February are sometimes assigned the previous sign. For uses like new year cards, where "this year's animal" is what matters, the question does not arise.
Is there a way to convert in my head?
For Showa, subtract 25 from the last two digits of the Gregorian year (1970 gives Showa 45); for Heisei subtract 1988; for Reiwa subtract 2018. All of them break at the transition years, and the Showa shortcut also breaks from 2000 onwards, so check anything near a boundary here.
Is the date I enter stored?
No, and nothing is sent. The conversion happens entirely in the page.