How to Write Dates Vertically in Japanese: Kanji Numeral Samples for Certificates and Gift Envelopes

Vertical dates use kanji numerals and the Japanese era

In vertical Japanese documents, numbers are written in kanji. Stack Arabic numerals vertically and each one either lies on its side or loses its digit grouping. For the year, certificates, awards, invitations and funeral-related documents traditionally use the Japanese era. Writing the Western year isn't wrong, but the more formal the document, the more the era is expected.

The date itself is usually the day the document takes effect: the award date for a certificate, the sending date for an invitation, the signing date for a contract. Even if the ceremony and the printing happen on different days, a certificate carries the date it is awarded.

二〇二六 or 二千二十六: choosing between the two

Kanji numerals can be written digit by digit or with kanji that mark place value (ten, hundred, thousand). Neither is more correct. The choice depends on the type of document.

• Western years have four digits, so the digit-by-digit 二〇二六年 is easier to read and is the norm in practice.
• Era years only have one or two digits, so they're written with place values, as in 令和八年.
• Months and days are usually written with place values: 九月十五日, 十月二十日.
• Don't mix the two styles in one document. 二〇二六年九月十五日 reads naturally, but 二〇二六年九月一五日 looks inconsistent.
• For zero, use the kanji numeral 〇, not the letter O or the Arabic 0.

Writing eras, and years that span an era change

The thing to watch with Japanese era dates is the year of an era change. Eras change on a specific day, not on January 1, so the same Western year can fall in two different eras depending on the date.

• The first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen, "first year"), not 令和一年 or 平成一年.
• January 1 to April 30, 2019 is Heisei 31, and from May 1 it's Reiwa 1 (令和元年). The era depends on the document's date, even within one year.
• 1989 works the same way: Showa 64 up to January 7, Heisei 1 from January 8.
• Vertically, write 令和元年九月十五日. 元年 doesn't need converting to a numeral.
• Abbreviations such as R8.9.15 or H31.4.1 aren't used in formal documents. Keep them to internal records.

The Japanese Era Converter takes a date and correctly works out the era, even in years that span an era change. It shows the first year as 令和元年, and also gives abbreviated forms like S58.4.1 and the zodiac animal. It also works the other way, from an era and year to the Western year, which is handy for checking dates when copying old documents. For documents that mention the zodiac animal, such as New Year's cards, see also how to look up your zodiac animal. The conversion method itself is covered in how to convert between era and Western years.

Formal numerals for money (壱, 弐, 参)

On the inner envelope of a congratulatory gift or the amount line of a receipt, Japanese uses formal numerals called daiji instead of ordinary kanji numerals. Simple numerals are easy to alter: adding one stroke turns 一 into 二. Daiji have many strokes and can't be changed afterwards.

• On the inner envelope of a congratulatory gift, write it as 金参萬円 (30,000 yen). It's customary to start with 金.
• The closing 也 is an old way of showing there's no fraction of a yen. You can include it or leave it out.
• 4 and 9 are avoided for gift amounts because they evoke the words for "death" and "suffering".
• For funerals, the amount is written the same way, but custom calls for pale ink.
• The numerals legally required on receipts and promissory notes are 1, 2, 3 and 10 (壱, 弐, 参, 拾). The rest is custom.

How to write amounts from 3,000 to 1,000,000 yen is listed in amounts on inner envelopes and a daiji chart, and the kanji numerals for the address on the back in how to write the back of the inner envelope.

Quick reference by document type

When in doubt, the surest approach is to match what the recipient has issued in the past. Schools, local governments, shrines and temples each have an established format. If you have an earlier example at hand, you can follow it exactly, from how the era is written to whether punctuation is used.

FAQ

Should a vertical date use the Western year or the Japanese era?

Certificates, awards, invitations and funeral-related documents traditionally use the Japanese era. Vertical writing itself is used for formal occasions, so the era feels more natural. Internal documents and general vertical manuscripts can use the Western year, written digit by digit as 二〇二六年. What matters is consistency within one document, so don't mix the two between body text and date.

Which is correct, 二〇日 or 二十日?

Both are used. 二〇日 is the digit-by-digit style common in vertical newspapers and magazines. 二十日 uses a place-value kanji and appears on certificates, diplomas and other formal documents. It's a matter of format rather than right and wrong, so just don't mix them in one document. If the year is 二〇二六年, then 二〇日 is the natural match.

Can I write 令和一年 instead of 令和元年?

In formal documents, write 令和元年. The first year of an era is by custom called 元年 (gannen), and 令和一年 isn't used in official documents. Entering 1 is unavoidable, though, when a system's input field only accepts a number. Also note that January 1 to April 30, 2019 is Heisei 31 and from May 1 it's Reiwa 1, so the era depends on the date within that year.

Why is the amount on a gift envelope written 参萬円?

To prevent someone from altering the amount afterwards. Characters like 三 and 万 can be changed by adding a few strokes, but daiji such as 参 and 萬 have too many strokes to tamper with. For the same reason, receipts and promissory notes use 壱, 弐, 参 and 拾 for 1, 2, 3 and 10. The traditional form starts with 金 and may end with 也, as in 金参萬円也.