昭しょう和わ

しょ

う

わ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

noun

Shōwa era (1926–1989)

historical term

Historical term for the reign period of Emperor Shōwa. Used in dates, historical contexts, and compound terms like 昭和時代.

昭しょう和わは1926年ねんから1989年ねんまで続

つづ

い

た

。

The Shōwa era lasted from 1926 to 1989.

昭しょう和わの初はじめに生うまれた祖そ父ふは、戦せん争そうを経けい験けんした。

My grandfather, born in the early Shōwa period, experienced the war.

2

na-adjective

Shōwa-nostalgic; old-school; retro

colloquial

Colloquial adjectival use describing something that evokes the atmosphere, style, or values of the Shōwa era, often with a nostalgic or quaint feel. Commonly used as 昭和な or 昭和っぽい.

この喫きっ茶さ店てんは昭しょう和わな雰ふん囲い気きで落おち着つく。
This coffee shop has a Shōwa-era atmosphere that feels relaxing.
彼かれのファッションはちょっと昭しょう和わっぽいね。
His fashion is a bit old-school, isn't it?

Usage patterns

昭しょう和わ〈数かず〉年ねんthe ...th year of the Shōwa era
昭しょう和わ64年ねんは1989年ねんです。
Shōwa 64 is the year 1989.
昭しょう和わな〈物もの〉something with a Shōwa-era, old-fashioned feel
このレストランは昭しょう和わな雰ふん囲い気きがある。
This restaurant has a Shōwa-era, nostalgic atmosphere.
昭しょう和わっぽい〈物もの〉something that looks or feels distinctly Shōwa-era
その看かん板ばんは昭しょう和わっぽいデザインだ。
That signboard has a very Shōwa-era design.

Kanji

昭shining, bright
和harmony, Japanese style, peace

Related words

レトロ sense 2
昭和 (used adjectivally as 昭和な/昭和っぽい) describes a nostalgic feel specifically tied to the Shōwa era, whereas レトロ is a broader loanword for 'retro' or 'vintage' that isn't limited to any one period.
昭しょう
昭 is the abbreviated prefix attached directly to a year number (e.g. 昭55年), while 昭和 is the full era name used to refer to the era itself.
Ｓ
昭和 is the full name of the era, while Ｓ is the abbreviation used before a year number (e.g. Ｓ60).

Don't confuse with

平へい成せいN1sense 1
昭和 refers to the era from 1926–1989, while 平成 is the following era (1989–2019), and learners often mix up which imperial year numbers belong to which.
大たい正しょうN1
昭和 (1926–1989) is the era right after 大正 (1912–1926), and learners often confuse which came first.
令れい和わ
令和 refers to the present era starting in 2019, whereas 昭和 was a much earlier era (1926–1989) that learners sometimes confuse with more recent ones.

Word family

昭しょう和わ史し
history of the Shōwa period (1926-1989)
昭しょう和わ一ひと桁けた
Showa single-digit generation; born in the first nine years of Showa (1926-1934)
昭しょう和わ元げん禄ろく
the flourishing mid-Shōwa period (1960s–early 1970s) of peace, rapid economic growth, and easy living

Written forms

昭しょう和わUsage100%
Standard kanji form for the era name and its derived adjective use.
㍼しょうわ
Search-only single-character abbreviation; not used in normal writing.

Etymology

The era name 昭和 was adopted in 1926 from a passage in the Chinese classic 書経 (Book of Documents), meaning 'bright peace' or 'enlightened harmony'.

昭しょう和わ時じ代だい

Shōwa period (1926-1989)

昭しょう和わレトロ

Shōwa retro; Shōwa-era style; Shōwa-nostalgic