新暦

• Reading: しんれき
• Romaji: shinreki
• Kanji breakdown: 新 (shin/atara) — new; 暦 (reki/koyomi) — calendar
• Pronunciation: /ɕiɴ.ɾe.ki/

Meaning

The new calendar; the Gregorian (solar) calendar adopted in Japan in 1873, used in contrast to the traditional lunisolar 旧暦.

A noun distinguishing the Western Gregorian calendar from the traditional Japanese lunisolar system. Japan officially switched to 新暦 in Meiji 6 (1873) as part of the modernisation reforms. Most daily life, government, and business in modern Japan runs on 新暦, though traditional festivals and some regional events still follow 旧暦. Dates in the two systems typically differ by about one month.

Examples

1. 新暦では元旦は1月1日だが、旧暦の正月は異なる。 Under the new calendar, New Year's Day is January 1st, but the old calendar's New Year falls on a different date.
2. 明治6年に日本は旧暦から新暦に切り替えた。 In the sixth year of Meiji, Japan switched from the old calendar to the new calendar.
3. 新暦と旧暦の違いを理解することで、伝統行事の意味が深まる。 Understanding the differences between the new and old calendars deepens the meaning of traditional events.

Usage Guide

Context: history, traditional culture, calendar, festivals

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 新 (new) and 暦 (calendar). Coined during the Meiji modernisation to describe the newly adopted Western calendar and distinguish it from the existing lunisolar system.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern (from Meiji)

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal