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Shōwa 1 in the Western calendar
昭和元年
=
1926
Year 1 (gannen 元年) of the Shōwa era is 1926 in the Western calendar.
Western year
1926
Kanji form
昭和元年
as stamped on coins
Abbreviation
S1
on licenses & forms
Zodiac
丙寅 Fire Tiger
Era position
Year 1 of 64
Shōwa era (Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989)
Age today
Era-change year
Shōwa 1 lasted just seven days: December 25 – 31, 1926. Dates earlier in 1926 belong to Taishō 15.
How to read it
On coins and formal documents the year is written 昭和元年 — the first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen, “origin year”), not 1年.
Quick conversion rule: Shōwa year + 1925 = Western year (Shōwa 1 + 1925 = 1926).
Convert another year
Any year from Meiji 1 (1868) onward. Everything runs in your browser.
Same Western year, different era
1926 is split between two eras because the era changed mid-year: Taishō 15. Documents dated 1926 can therefore carry either name — check the month before converting.
Nearby years
Common questions about Shōwa 1
What year is Shōwa 1 in the Western calendar?
Shōwa 1 (昭和元年) is 1926. On Japanese forms it is often shortened to S1, and in kanji it is written 昭和元年.
How do I convert a Shōwa year to a Western year?
Add 1925. Shōwa 1 + 1925 = 1926, and the same rule works for every year in the Shōwa era (Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989).
How is Shōwa 1 written on documents and coins?
It appears as 昭和元年 — the first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen, “origin year”) rather than 一年. A full date follows the same order, with the month and day after the year: 昭和元年◯月◯日.
What is the zodiac sign for Shōwa 1?
1926 is the year of the Fire Tiger (丙寅) in the Japanese sexagenary cycle.
Is the Shōwa era still used today?
No — the Shōwa era covers Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989, so Shōwa 1 is a past year. Japanese documents issued at the time still carry it.