A traditional looking window brings back visions of Japan’s past.
If you have looked at anything with Japanese dates, you have probably seen names like Shōwa 21, Taishō 5, or Reiwa 2. What’s the deal with these?
When using the traditional calendar in Japan, years are given according to how many years the emperor has been in power. This year, for example, 2020 on the Western Calendar, is called Reiwa 2 (令和２) in the Japanese system, meaning the second year of Reiwa, which is the name given to the reign of Emperor Naruhito. A handful of years ago, 2015, was Heisei 27—Heisei being the era name given to his father, Emperor Akihito. Heisei means peace everywhere, and Reiwa means beautiful harmony. When they die, they will posthumously be referred to as Emperor Reiwa and Emperor Heisei respectively.
Shōwa Era
The current emperor’s grandfather was Emperor Shōwa, better known in the West as Hirohito. Emperor Shōwa reigned from 1926 to 1989 and this time period is referred to as the Shōwa Era. So when you see a date of Shōwa 43, for example, that means 1968.
Although the Shōwa era started on a rather bad note with an out of control military, the later years of it, from about the 60s to the end, are viewed very positively by many Japanese. It was during this time that Japan rapidly changed from a defeated, poor country to the second largest economy in the world—the so-called Japanese Miracle. Many older Japanese look back at the Shōwa era with a sense of nostalgia and a longing for the good old days when the world was peaceful, more innocent, and made sense: kind of similar to the way many Americans view the 50s.
Shōwa 昭和 means enlightened peace, by the way. Though the first few years of Shōwa obviously fell short of that meaning, the second half arguably lived up to the name.
Taishō and Meiji
1912 to 1926 was the Taishō 大正 era, a name meaning great righteousness. Emperor Taishō was a sickly man, so for much of the latter half of his reign until his death, his son, Emperor Shōwa, was actually the guy running things.
Stepping back one more, from the opening of Japan to the West in 1868 until 1912, was the Meiji era. Meiji 明治 means enlightened rule.
Before this they also used era names, but the system was a bit more confusing, with emperors declaring new eras basically whenever they wanted. Chances are you will never run into a pre-Meiji date unless you read a lot of historic texts, but if you do… good luck to you.
The Polite Way to Do It
Once an emperor dies and takes on the name of his era, people never refer to him by his given name. So Japanese people will never1 refer to Emperor Shōwa as Hirohito or Emperor Meiji as Mutsuhito.2
Outside of Japan, using posthumous names can be confusing, at least for Hirohito/Shōwa. Some Western historians try to thread this naming needle by using the era name as a title instead of as a name, leaving them room to use the emperor’s given name when clarity is required. For example, they will speak of “The Shōwa emperor” instead of saying “Emperor Shōwa”, or if needed “The Shōwa emperor, Hirohito”.
The Japanese never call the current emperor by his given name either. Only foreigners call him Emperor Naruhito. Japanese call him Tennō Heika (“His Majesty the heavenly sovereign”). His retired father is also not called Emperor Akihito, or retired-Emperor Akihito, but rather Jōkō (上皇, Emperor Emeritus), an abbreviated form of Daijō Tennō.
Every year fewer and fewer places in Japan cling to this old system, but the government is one of them so you will still come across these dates, and of course if you read anything historical you are likely to come across them. Just remember: when all else fails, use Google.3