Glossary

Heisei

平成

Term · calendar

Japanese era name (平成) for the years 1989–2019: 1989 is Heisei 1 (元年) and Heisei 31 is 2019. Heisei (平成) is a Japanese era name (nengō), proclaimed in 1989. Its years are counted in lunar years from the new year before the proclamation: 1989 is Heisei 1 (元年), 2019 its last year, Heisei 31. A Japanese source dates a year within it as “Heisei 2” (平成2年) rather than by a continuous count. Since 1868 an era is that of an emperor (one reign, one era): Heisei is the era of Akihito, who abdicated in 2019. Before: Shōwa. After: Reiwa.