Japanese Imperial year facts for kids
Kōki (pronounced "koh-kee") is a special way of counting years that was once used in Japan. It's also known as the "Japanese Imperial year" or "National calendar year." This system starts counting from the year 660 BC, which is when, according to legend, the first emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu, founded the country.
Using Kōki helped to show the very long history of Japan and its Imperial family.
A Look at Kōki's History
Japan planned to host the Summer Olympics and a big Tokyo Expo in 1940. These events were meant to celebrate a special anniversary: the year 1940 was Kōki 2600! However, these international games did not happen because of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) used the Kōki system to name some of their equipment. Here are a couple of examples:
- The army's Type 92 battalion gun was called "ninety-two." This is because its design was finished in 1932, which was the 2592nd year since Emperor Jimmu's founding (Kōki 2592).
- The famous Mitsubishi A6M Zero airplane was called the "Zero." This plane started being used in 1940, which was Kōki 2600.
Today in Japan, people no longer use this system of counting years from Emperor Jimmu's time.
Related Pages
- National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar"
