What do 年, 月 and 日 mean?
年 means year, 月 means month, and 日 means day. They appear directly after each number.
JAPANESE DATE CONVERTER
One date, every Japanese format.
Convert Western dates to Japanese Gregorian, era, and abbreviated formats for Japanese forms—then copy the exact version you need.
09日曜日
令和8年8月9日（日）
SundayUseful for online forms and databases.
年 = year · 月 = month · 日 = day
Calculated from the exact era transition date.
A compact format used on some Japanese forms.
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年nen
year
月gatsu
month
日nichi
day
Only converting a year? Use the Japanese era converter →
JAPANESE DATE FORMAT
How are dates written in Japan?
Japanese dates normally use year → month → day. August 9, 2026 becomes 2026年8月9日 in the Western calendar or 令和8年8月9日 in the Japanese era calendar.
How is the weekday shown?
The weekday is often abbreviated in parentheses. （日）means Sunday and （月）means Monday.
Why exact dates matter
Japanese eras change on exact dates. For example, May 1, 2019 is Reiwa 1, while April 30 is Heisei 31.
Example date formats for August 9, 2026
FormatJapanese labelResult
ISO西暦2026-08-09
Japanese Gregorian年月日2026年8月9日
Japanese era和暦令和8年8月9日
Help and examples
Japanese forms may show the same date in Gregorian order, Japanese era format, or a short era abbreviation. The exact day matters near an era transition.
Example: 2026-08-09 → 令和8年8月9日 / R8.8.9
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong era for dates near a transition
- Swapping month and day to match a US-style date
- Entering a two-digit Western year where four digits are expected
Questions
What order do Japanese dates use?
Japanese dates normally use year, month, day: YYYY年M月D日.
Can I use a Western year on every form?
Only when the form allows 西暦. A field labelled 和暦 expects a Japanese era.