Excerpt from Japanese Chronological Tables: Showing the Date, According to the Julian or Gregorian Calendar, of the First Day of Each Japanese Month, From Tai-Kwa 1st Year to Mei-Ji 6th Year (645 A. D. To 1873 A. D.); With an Introductory Essay on Japanese Chronology and Calendars

Up to the present time there have been published no comparative tables of Japanese anl Western dates. It is true that the home-department during the years from 1874 to 1878, under the title of Tia-ia Tat-y?) Rio-rem tai-skd-hif), published a work in three volumes, purporting to give such comparative tables for the years ad. 501 to 1872 but besides the fact, that the work contains several errors, possibly typographical, the compiler must have been unaware, that the Gregorian Calendar had no existence until the year 1582; for the tables are calculated right through according to this calendar, the consequence being that all the dates given for the first 1100 years are entirely wrong, being from two to ten days out, according to the century; and thus the book instead of being useful, may easily mislead those, who unaware of the mistake, make use of the tables they contain.

In preference to giving the Japanese date corresponding to the first day of each month of the European Calendar, as is done in the aforesaid work, I have followed the opposite course and given the equivalent, according to the Julian or Gregorian calendars, of the first day of every Japanese month, as the tables are far more likely to be used for transposing Japanese dates into Western, than Western dates into Japanese.

The present tables are carried back to ad. 645, because that year, being the one in which the Nan system was introduced, seems to form a suitable starting point. In reality, however, the calendars existing 'for the time up to the beginning of the 8th century, are not authentic.

To many it may appear, that to compile tables like those here given, was a task involving more labour than the subject deserved, Yet there are not a few cases in which the Historian, the Astronomer, the Seismologist and other students of matters pertaining to Japan generally, may desire to ascertain the exact date of an event. To them, at least, I hepe the work will be welcome.

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