In Japan, the same year may be written as either 2026 in the Western calendar or Reiwa 8 in the Japanese era system.
To foreigners, using two different systems may seem unnecessarily complicated. However, Japanese people do not always prefer era names, nor do they follow a strict rule when choosing between the two.
In many cases, they simply use whichever format is required.
If a government form asks for an era year, they write Reiwa. If it asks for a Western year, they write 2026. The same is true for documents used by companies, schools, and hospitals: people normally follow the format printed on the form.
On the other hand, some people choose to use an era name when writing a date themselves, such as in a letter. Era names can feel slightly more formal and more distinctly Japanese than Western years.
Still, the fact that era names remain in use does not mean that everyone can immediately say what year it is in the current era.
When filling out a form, it is quite common to ask,
“What year is it in the Reiwa era?”
People may also check on their phones.
They may know the Western year immediately but not remember the Reiwa year. Even so, seeing era years on official documents or driver’s licences does not usually feel strange. It can be mildly inconvenient, but it is still accepted as a normal part of official procedures.
There is also no clear rule that era names are used for events in Japan while Western years are used for events overseas. Both systems are commonly used when discussing Japanese history and society.
Which one people choose depends on the source, the flow of the conversation, and which format will be easier for the other person to understand.
Era names such as Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa are not only ways of counting years. They are also used as names for broader periods of time.
Of course, hearing “1980” or “the 2000s” can also bring back memories of what society and one’s own life were like at the time. But saying “Shōwa” or “Heisei” makes it easier to refer to the atmosphere of an entire era rather than one specific year.
When an era changes, many people feel that something more significant has happened than a simple change in date.
When Heisei became Reiwa, it was widely understood as the end of one era and the beginning of another. This is because an era name is also used as the name of the period itself.
Western years are often more convenient for calculating ages, comparing long spans of time, and communicating internationally.
Even so, some people would feel a sense of loss if era names disappeared. Japan would lose familiar words such as Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa that make it possible to speak about periods and generations as a whole.
Japan continues to use both systems because neither one fits every situation equally well.
Western years are useful for counting and comparing time. Era names remain part of official documents and also help people describe broader periods of Japanese life.
Japanese people are not choosing one system over the other. They continue to use both, depending on the situation.