Glossary

Shōwa

昭和

Term · calendar

Japanese era name (昭和) for the years 1926–1989: 1926 is Shōwa 1 (元年) and Shōwa 64 is 1989. Shōwa (昭和) is a Japanese era name (nengō), proclaimed in 1926. Its years are counted in lunar years from the new year before the proclamation: 1926 is Shōwa 1 (元年), 1989 its last year, Shōwa 64. A Japanese source dates a year within it as “Shōwa 2” (昭和2年) rather than by a continuous count. Since 1868 an era is that of an emperor (one reign, one era): Shōwa is the era of Hirohito, who is called after it since his death. Before: Taishō. After: Heisei.