Basic information for temporal data of Japanese calendar (2019)
The resources for Japanese studies often contain temporal information according to the Japanese calendar. The temporal data in catalogs and documents are usually converted into Gregorian calendar, as most computer systems do not accept Japanese calendar dates. However, periods of years and months prior to 1873 (i.e., when the Japanese calendar was lunisolar), are different for Japanese and Gregorian calendars. This may, therefore, cause problems in retrievals and analyses. Moreover, calendar conversion is not easy as Japanese calendar dates are represented using Chinese letters and the Stems-and-Branches.