Appendix: Supplemental Data | TM-E 30-480: Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, Technical Manual, U.S. War Department, October 1, 1944 (Lone Sentry)

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Year of Meiji		Year of our Lord
1st		1868
2d		1869
3d		1870
4th		1871
5th		1872
6th		1873
7th		1874
8th		1875
9th		1876
10th		1877
11th		1878
12th		1879
13th		1880
14th		1881
15th		1882
16th		1883
17th		1884
18th		1885
19th		1886
20th		1887
21st		1888
22d		1889
23d		1890
24th		1891
25th		1892
26th		1893
27th		1894
28th		1895
29th		1896
30th		1897
31st		1898
32d		1899
33d		1900
34th		1901
35th		1902
36th		1903
37th		1904
38th		1905
39th		1906
40th		1907
41st		1908
42d		1909
43d		1910
44th		1911
45th		1912
Year of Taisho
1st		1912
2d		1913
3d		1914
4th		1915
5th		1916
6th		1917
7th		1918
8th		1919
9th		1920
10th		1921
11th		1922
12th		1923
13th		1924
14th		1925
15th		1926
Year of Showa
1st		1926
2d		1927
3d		1928
4th		1929
5th		1930
6th		1931
7th		1932
8th		1933
9th		1934
10th		1935
11th		1936
12th		1937
13th		1938
14th		1939
15th		1940
16th		1941
17th		1942
18th		1943
19th		1944

NOTE. When Japanese year dates are given the year may be found as follows:

In the Meiji period, add the Japanese year date to 1867.

In the Taisho period, add the Japanese year date to 1911.

In the Showa (present) period, add the Japanese year date to 1925.

For example Meiji 13 is 1880, Taisho 13 is 1924, and Showa 13 is 1938.

Ri = 36 chō = 2,160 ken = 2.4403 miles = 3.92727 kilometers.

Ri (marine) = 1 nautical mile = 1.85319 kilometers.

Ken = 6 shaku = 60 sun = 5.965163 feet = 1.81818 meters.

Shaku = 10 sun = 100 bu = 0.994194 feet = 0.30303 meter.

Shaku (cloth measure) = 1.25 shaku.

Tan (cloth measure) = a roll of about 25 shaku.

Square ri = 1,296 square chō = 5.95516 square miles = 15.52345 square kilometers.

Chō (area) = 10 tan = 3,000 tsubo = 2.45065 acres = 99.17355 ares.

Tsubo or bu = 3.95369 square yards = 3.30579 centiares.

Ko (Formosa) = 2,934 tsubo.

Koku = 10 to = 100 sho =

4.96005
47.65389
5.11902

bushels
gallons (liquid) U.S.A.
bushels (dry) U.S.A.

= 1.80391 hectoliters

Go = 10th of a sho.

Koku (capacity of vessels) = 10th of a shipping ton.

Koku (timber) = about 1 by 1 by 10 feet.

Koku (fish) = 40 kwan (in weight).

Shakujime (timber) = about 1 by 1 by 12 feet.

Taba (fagot, etc.) = about 3 by 6 by 6 feet.

Kwan (kan) = 1,000 momme =

8.26733 pounds avoirdupois
10.04711 pounds troy

= 3.75000 kilograms.

Kin = 160 momme =

1.32277 pounds avoirdupois
1.60754 pounds troy

= 0.60000 kilograms.

Momme = 10 fun =

0.13228 ounce avoirdupois
0.12057 ounce troy

= 3.75000 grams.

Yen (Ą) = 100 sen = 1,000 rin =

0.49846 U.S. dollars (at par).
0.23196 U.S. dollars (average rate of exchange, November 1941).

3. METHOD OF NUMBERING MODELS. a. Before 1926 the model number of weapons and equipment was indicated by the year of the reign in which the model was adopted. Since 1926 the model has been numbered from what is assumed to be the date of the founding of the Japanese Empire. The last two digits of this number are used up to the year 1940. Models adopted in 1940 are simply designated as "0" (Zero). Models adopted in 1941 are designated "1" and so on.

b. A comparative table indicating the western year, the Japanese year, and the model number corresponding thereto follows:

Western year	Japanese year	Model No.
1930	2590	90
1931	2591	91
1932	2592	92
1933	2593	93
1934	2594	94
1935	2595	95
1936	2596	96
1937	2597	97
1938	2598	98
1939	2599	99
1940	2600	0
1941	2601	1
1942	2602	2
1943	2603	3
1944	2604	4

c. This method of marking equipment is in general use in both the Army and the Navy for numbering types of equipment, including airplanes, tanks, pieces of ordnance, etc.