Japanese calendar

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/japanese-calendar

1. What is the primary modern calendar?
2. What is the traditional year designation?
3. What is the nengō system and why does Japan use it?
4. How does the Japanese calendar change when a new emperor comes to the throne?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary modern calendar?Gregorian calendar, adopted officially in 1873
2. What is the traditional year designation?Nengō (era name) system, based on the Emperor's reign
3. What is the nengō system and why does Japan use it?The nengō system names each year after the current emperor’s reign. It keeps Japan’s history linked to its emperors and is still used in official papers and culture.
4. How does the Japanese calendar change when a new emperor comes to the throne?When a new emperor starts ruling, a new era name is chosen and the year count starts over at one. The next year is called the first year of that new era.

Nengō (年号): Japanese era name system, counting years from the start of an emperor's reign.
Gregorian Calendar: The internationally recognized solar calendar used for civil purposes.
Lunisolar Calendar: A calendar that synchronizes lunar months with the solar year, often using leap months.
Intercalary Month: An extra month added to a calendar to realign it with astronomical seasons.