Heisei and Reiwa (1989 to today): disaster, abdication and a new era

Heisei (1989 to 2019) and Reiwa (from 2019) took Japan through the bursting of the bubble economy, two major earthquakes and the first abdication in about 200 years. Heisei began on 8 January 1989, the day after the Showa emperor died, when Chief Cabinet Secretary Obuchi Keizo announced the name by holding up the calligraphy, per reference works. Reiwa began on 1 May 2019.

It follows Taisho and Showa and is the last of the era pages. The history guide places every era on one timeline.

When were Heisei and Reiwa?

Heisei ran from 8 January 1989 to 30 April 2019, and Reiwa began on 1 May 2019. The first year of an era is called gannen, not 1.

To turn a Western year into an era year, subtract 1988 for Heisei or 2018 for Reiwa. 1995 is Heisei 7, 2011 is Heisei 23 and 2026 is Reiwa 8. Japanese era names explains the system.

What were the turning points of Heisei?

Three, per general histories. The first was economic. The bubble burst in the early 1990s and began what are called the lost decades of low growth.

The second was 1995. The Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe on 17 January, and the Tokyo subway sarin attack followed on 20 March.

The third was 11 March 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake, the tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi accident struck. Heisei ended eight years later, in 2019.

Why did 2019 have two era names?

Because Emperor Akihito abdicated on 30 April 2019, and Reiwa began the next day. So 2019 was Heisei 31 until 30 April and Reiwa 1 from 1 May.

Per reference works, the abdication was the first in about 200 years; the last was by Kokaku in 1817. Crown Prince Naruhito became emperor on 1 May 2019. The name had been announced on 1 April 2019 by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga, after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, with Abe Shinzo as prime minister.

The Embassy of Japan says Reiwa is taken from the Man’yoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry, from the introduction to a set of plum-blossom poems. It renders the name “beautiful harmony”.

What has Reiwa brought so far?

Reiwa is in its eighth year in 2026. COVID-19 arrived in 2020, and the Tokyo Olympics were held in 2021. Inbound tourism reached records in 2023 and 2024, alongside a weak yen, per general histories.

What changed for ordinary people?

Five things show in the general histories.

• Phones and internet: mobile phones and the internet became everyday tools.
• Shops: convenience stores and vending machines became part of the daily routine.
• Population: the society aged and the population began to shrink.
• Disasters: preparing for disaster became part of everyday life.
• Payment: payment shifted towards cashless.

What do Heisei and Reiwa mean for a traveller?

You meet the era on paper. Tickets, receipts, expiry dates and forms may show an era year such as R8.4.1, and the Western year usually appears too. If a date looks wrong, convert it: add 2018 to a Reiwa year, or 1988 to a Heisei year.

The cashless shift reaches visitors at the till. Japan money, IC cards and eSIM covers how to pay. Japan safety and etiquette gives the visitor side of disaster safety.

What can you see today?

Memorial museums keep the record of the 1995 and 2011 disasters.

Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s museums belong to Showa, and they are on Taisho and Showa.

Before you go Confirm each museum’s fee and hours on its own page before you plan the day. Keep voices low at disaster memorials and follow the posted signs; that is courtesy guidance, not a posted rule.

Where next?

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki museums covers the postwar memory sites.
• The Culture hub holds every culture topic, and the culture guide gives the overview.