noun
Imperial era; Japanese imperial year
A historical year-numbering system starting from the legendary accession of Emperor Jimmu in 660 BCE. Used in official contexts before 1945, now mostly of historical interest.
See also: 神武
皇紀2600年は西暦1940年にあたる。
The Imperial year 2600 corresponds to 1940 CE.
戦前の公文書には皇紀が使われていた。
Pre-war official documents used the Imperial era year.