Happy New Year! Akemas***e Heisei 26!

2014 is the year of the horse...so I am told by a very excited and wishful Farrari owner, and dream racer!

At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar, together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the current emperor. The year 2000, for example, which happened to be the 12th year of the reign of the current emperor, whose posthumous name will be Heisei, is called "Heisei 12". So we were born in the year 1981 which to the Japanese the year is called Showa 56 and it is the year of the Rooster!

Japanese people also use 10-day periods called Jun (旬). Each month is divided roughly into three 10-day periods. The first (from 1st to 10th) is jōjun (上旬 "upper Jun"); the second (from 11th to 20th), chūjun (中旬 "middle Jun"); the last (from 21st to 31st), gejun (下旬 "bottom Jun" ). These are frequently used to indicate approximate times, for example, "the temperatures are typical of the jōjun of April"; "a vote on a bill is expected during the gejun of this monthJapanese people also use 10-day periods called Jun (旬). Each month is divided roughly into three 10-day periods. The first (from 1st to 10th) is jōjun (上旬 "upper Jun"); the second (from 11th to 20th), chūjun (中旬 "middle Jun"); the last (from 21st to 31st), gejun (下旬 "bottom Jun" ). These are frequently used to indicate approximate times, for example, "the temperatures are typical of the jōjun of April"; "a vote on a bill is expected during the gejun of this month

It does get tricky when entering the date onto any Japanese document, as the date starts with 26 and not 2014! heehee