The Japanese era name or gengō (元号), is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era, followed by the literal "nen (年)" meaning "year".
Keizō Obuchi, Chief Cabinet Secretary, announces the name of the new era "Heisei" (平成), on 7 January 1989.
Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary, announces the name of the new era "Reiwa" (令和) at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, on 1 April 2019.
1729 Japanese calendar, which used the Jōkyō calendar procedure, published by Ise Grand Shrine
The Shōwa era was the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989. It was preceded by the Taishō era and succeeded by the Heisei era.
The pre-1945 and post-war Shōwa periods are almost completely different states: the pre-1945 Shōwa era (1926–1945) concerns the Empire of Japan, and post-1945 Shōwa era (1945–1989) concerns the State of Japan.
Emperor Shōwa (1928)
The National Diet Building, where both houses of the Imperial Diet of Japan meet, was completed in early Shōwa era (1936).
Japanese Emperor Hirohito as head of the Imperial General Headquarters on April 29, 1943
Prime Minister Hideki Tojo (right) and Nobusuke Kishi, October 1943
