🏯 The Nengō Desk

Japanese objects are dated in era years: Meiji 6, Shōwa 20, Reiwa 6. Year 1 of an era is the year it was proclaimed, even if that was December. The desk covers Meiji (1868) to Reiwa. Earlier nengō changed too often for a short plaque.

Era starts: Meiji 23 Oct 1868 (retroactive to 3 Jan), Taishō 30 Jul 1912, Shōwa 25 Dec 1926, Heisei 8 Jan 1989, Reiwa 1 May 2019. A print dated “Meiji 45 / Taishō 1” is 1912. This desk uses calendar years, not the exact proclamation day — good enough for a caption, not for a legal document.