Converter › Shōwa era › Shōwa 15
Shōwa 15 in the Western calendar
昭和十五年
=
1940
Year 15 of the Shōwa era is 1940 in the Western calendar.
Western year
1940
Kanji form
昭和十五年
as stamped on coins
Abbreviation
S15
on licenses & forms
Zodiac
庚辰 Metal Dragon
Era position
Year 15 of 64
Shōwa era (Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989)
Age today
How to read it
On coins and formal documents the year is written 昭和十五年 — 十五 is ten-five, so it reads 15.
Quick conversion rule: Shōwa year + 1925 = Western year (Shōwa 15 + 1925 = 1940).
Convert another year
Any year from Meiji 1 (1868) onward. Everything runs in your browser.
Nearby years
Common questions about Shōwa 15
What year is Shōwa 15 in the Western calendar?
Shōwa 15 (昭和15年) is 1940. On Japanese forms it is often shortened to S15, and in kanji it is written 昭和十五年.
How do I convert a Shōwa year to a Western year?
Add 1925. Shōwa 15 + 1925 = 1940, and the same rule works for every year in the Shōwa era (Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989).
How is Shōwa 15 written on documents and coins?
It appears as 昭和十五年 — the number is written with the kanji numeral 十五. A full date follows the same order, with the month and day after the year: 昭和十五年◯月◯日.
What is the zodiac sign for Shōwa 15?
1940 is the year of the Metal Dragon (庚辰) 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 15 is a past year. Japanese documents issued at the time still carry it.