Japanese Era vs Western Dates (令和 / 西暦) on Your Resume
Should you use 令和 or 2026 on your rirekisho? How the Japanese era calendar works, a quick conversion table, and the one rule that matters most: pick one system and use it everywhere.
Japan uses two calendars side by side: the Western year (西暦, e.g. 2026) and the Japanese era year (和暦, e.g. 令和8). On a rirekisho you may use either — but mixing them is one of the most common and most noticeable mistakes. Here is how to keep it clean.
How the era calendar works
Each emperor's reign is an era that counts from year 1. The current era, 令和 (Reiwa), began in 2019, so Reiwa 1 = 2019, and the years line up like this:
- 令和1 = 2019
- 令和6 = 2024
- 令和7 = 2025
- 令和8 = 2026
The previous era, 平成 (Heisei), ran 1989–2019, so many applicants' birth and school dates fall in Heisei. Heisei 1 = 1989; to convert, add 1988 (e.g. Heisei 10 = 1998).
The one rule that matters
Pick one system and use it for every date on the resume — birth date, school entrance and graduation, jobs, and the “as of” date. A sheet that says you were born in 平成 but graduated in 2024 looks careless. There is no “correct” choice between them; consistency is what employers notice.
Which should a foreigner choose?
Western dates (西暦) are completely acceptable and usually easier for foreign applicants to keep accurate, since you already know your dates that way. Use 和暦 only if you are confident converting every date correctly. Whatever you choose, double-check your birth year and graduation years.
Let the tool handle it
ResumeJP keeps your date format consistent across the whole sheet automatically, so you cannot accidentally mix 令和 and 西暦. Pick your preference once and fill in the rest in the editor. For the full set of fields, see the rirekisho guide.