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Shōwa 4 in the Western calendar
昭和四年
=
1929
Year 4 of the Shōwa era is 1929 in the Western calendar.
Western year
1929
Kanji form
昭和四年
as stamped on coins
Abbreviation
S4
on licenses & forms
Zodiac
己巳 Earth Snake
Era position
Year 4 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 昭和四年 — 四 is four, so it reads 4.
Quick conversion rule: Shōwa year + 1925 = Western year (Shōwa 4 + 1925 = 1929).
Convert another year
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Nearby years
Common questions about Shōwa 4
What year is Shōwa 4 in the Western calendar?
Shōwa 4 (昭和4年) is 1929. On Japanese forms it is often shortened to S4, and in kanji it is written 昭和四年.
How do I convert a Shōwa year to a Western year?
Add 1925. Shōwa 4 + 1925 = 1929, and the same rule works for every year in the Shōwa era (Dec 25, 1926 – Jan 7, 1989).
How is Shōwa 4 written on documents and coins?
It appears as 昭和四年 — the number is written with the kanji numeral 四. A full date follows the same order, with the month and day after the year: 昭和四年◯月◯日.
What is the zodiac sign for Shōwa 4?
1929 is the year of the Earth Snake (己巳) 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 4 is a past year. Japanese documents issued at the time still carry it.