Age ChartBorn in 1926 (Taishō 15 / Shōwa 1)
Last updated:
School years in Japan
In Japan a school year starts on 1 April; children born from 2 April to 1 April of the next year are in the same grade.
| Born 1 Jan – 1 Apr 1926 | Born 2 Apr – 31 Dec 1926 | |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary school entry (April) | 1932 (Shōwa 7) | 1933 (Shōwa 8) |
| Elementary school graduation (March) | 1938 (Shōwa 13) | 1939 (Shōwa 14) |
| Junior high school entry | 1938 (Shōwa 13) | 1939 (Shōwa 14) |
| Junior high school graduation | 1941 (Shōwa 16) | 1942 (Shōwa 17) |
| High school entry | 1941 (Shōwa 16) | 1942 (Shōwa 17) |
| High school graduation | 1944 (Shōwa 19) | 1945 (Shōwa 20) |
| University entry | 1944 (Shōwa 19) | 1945 (Shōwa 20) |
| University graduation (4 years) | 1948 (Shōwa 23) | 1949 (Shōwa 24) |
Adulthood in Japan
| Celebration | Year |
|---|---|
| Turns 18 (legal age of adulthood in Japan since 1 April 2022) | 1944 (Shōwa 19) |
| Turns 20 | 1946 (Shōwa 21) |
Traditional longevity celebrations
Customs differ: celebrations are held either in the year of the full age or, traditionally, by the old count in which a person is 1 at birth.
| Celebration | Age | Year (full age) | Year (traditional count) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanreki | 60 | 1986 (Shōwa 61) | 1985 (Shōwa 60) |
| Koki | 70 | 1996 (Heisei 8) | 1995 (Heisei 7) |
| Kiju | 77 | 2003 (Heisei 15) | 2002 (Heisei 14) |
| Sanju | 80 | 2006 (Heisei 18) | 2005 (Heisei 17) |
| Beiju | 88 | 2014 (Heisei 26) | 2013 (Heisei 25) |
| Sotsuju | 90 | 2016 (Heisei 28) | 2015 (Heisei 27) |
| Hakuju | 99 | 2025 (Reiwa 7) | 2024 (Reiwa 6) |
| Hyakuju | 100 | 2026 (Reiwa 8) | 2025 (Reiwa 7) |
Other years of the Tiger
Method
Ages are computed from today’s date in Japan time. ‘Birthday passed’ means the birthday in the current year has already come. The traditional count adds one to the current year minus the birth year. Japanese era years follow the Era Name Act and the cabinet orders changing the era; in a year when the era changed, both names are shown. School years follow the School Education Act and the Act on Age Calculation (a person reaches an age on the day before the birthday, so those born on 1 April join the earlier grade). Adulthood follows Article 4 of the Civil Code.
About this page
People born in 1926 (Taishō 15 / Shōwa 1, year of the Tiger) are 100 today if their birthday has passed this year, otherwise 99.