Converter › Shōwa era › Shōwa 18
Shōwa 18 in the Western calendar
昭和十八年
=
1943
Year 18 of the Shōwa era is 1943 in the Western calendar.
Western year
1943
Kanji form
昭和十八年
as stamped on coins
Abbreviation
S18
on licenses & forms
Zodiac
癸未 Water Goat
Era position
Year 18 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 昭和十八年 — 十八 is ten-eight, so it reads 18.
Quick conversion rule: Shōwa year + 1925 = Western year (Shōwa 18 + 1925 = 1943).
Convert another year
Any year from Meiji 1 (1868) onward. Everything runs in your browser.
Nearby years
Common questions about Shōwa 18
What year is Shōwa 18 in the Western calendar?
Shōwa 18 (昭和18年) is 1943. On Japanese forms it is often shortened to S18, and in kanji it is written 昭和十八年.
How do I convert a Shōwa year to a Western year?
Add 1925. Shōwa 18 + 1925 = 1943, and the same rule works for every year in the Shōwa era (Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989).
How is Shōwa 18 written on documents and coins?
It appears as 昭和十八年 — the number is written with the kanji numeral 十八. A full date follows the same order, with the month and day after the year: 昭和十八年◯月◯日.
What is the zodiac sign for Shōwa 18?
1943 is the year of the Water Goat (癸未) 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 18 is a past year. Japanese documents issued at the time still carry it.