How to read Japanese, Korean and Chinese expiration dates
Type the numbers from the pack to see the date in plain English, the days left, and whether it's a best-before or a use-by.
How the dates are printed
All three countries put the year first. The trouble starts with short years, era years and words you can't read yet.
| On the pack | Means |
|---|---|
| Japan | |
27.03.15 or 270315 | March 15, 2027 |
2027.03 or 27.03 | End of March 2027 (allowed on best-before dates more than 3 months after the production date) |
R9.3.15, 令和9年3月15日, 9.3.15 | March 15, 2027 (Reiwa 9; add 2018) |
27.3下 or 2027年3月下旬 | Late March 2027 (21st to 31st) |
| Korea | |
2027.03.15까지 | Until March 15, 2027 (까지 means "until") |
제조일로부터 24개월 | 24 months from the production date |
| China, Taiwan, Hong Kong | |
生产日期 20260315 + 保质期 18个月 | Made March 15, 2026, expires by September 14, 2027 |
保质期至 2027.03.15 | Expiry date March 15, 2027 |
有效日期 116.03.15 | March 15, 2027 (Taiwan's Minguo year; add 1911) |
Best before or use by?
A best-before date (賞味期限, 품질유지기한, 此日期前最佳) is about taste and texture. Japan's agriculture ministry says food past its 賞味期限 doesn't become inedible at once. A use-by date (消費期限, 소비기한, 此日期前食用) is about safety: don't eat the food after it. Both assume the pack is unopened and stored as the label says.
In mainland China, the end of the 保质期 is the last day a shop may sell the food. From March 2027, new labels must print that date itself instead of leaving you to add it up.
Each country has its own words and habits. The Japanese label guide, Korean label guide and Chinese label guide go through them with examples.
Cosmetics and batch codes
Japanese cosmetics only need a 使用期限 if they might change within three years of being made (or contain vitamin C or enzymes), so many have no date at all. Korean cosmetics show 사용기한 (use by) or 개봉 후 사용기간 (months after opening) with the production date. Chinese cosmetics show a production date and shelf life, or a batch number with a 限期使用日期. A batch code on its own can't be read without the maker's records.
Questions
How do you read a Japanese expiration date?
Year first, then month, then day: 27.03.15 is March 15, 2027. A one-digit year (9.3.15) or one with R in front (R9.3.15) is a Reiwa year; add 2018 to get the normal year. If only a year and month are printed, the date runs to the end of that month.
What does 賞味期限 mean?
賞味期限 (shōmi kigen) is the best-before date: the last day the food is at its best, unopened and stored as the label says. 消費期限 (shōhi kigen) is the use-by date on food that spoils fast, like bento, sandwiches and cakes. Japan's agriculture ministry says not to eat food past its 消費期限.
What is the difference between 유통기한 and 소비기한?
유통기한 (yutong gihan) was a sell-by date: how long shops could sell the product. 소비기한 (sobi gihan) is a use-by date: how long it can be eaten if stored as directed. Korea switched food labels to 소비기한 in 2023. Refrigerated milk keeps 유통기한 until 2031.
How do I work out a Chinese expiry date from 生产日期 and 保质期?
Add the shelf life (保质期) to the production date (生产日期), counting the production day as day one. Made March 15, 2026 with 保质期 18个月 (18 months) expires by September 14, 2027. China's labelling standard also lets makers start counting the next day, which gives September 15.
What does 下 or 下旬 after a date mean?
The month is split into thirds. 上旬 (or 上) is the 1st to the 10th, 中旬 (中) the 11th to the 20th, and 下旬 (下) the 21st to the end of the month. So 27.3下 means late March 2027, up to March 31.
Do Japanese cosmetics expire if there's no date?
Under Japan's rules, cosmetics that could change within three years of being made (and any with vitamin C or enzymes) must show a use-before date (使用期限). So no date means the maker expects it to stay stable for more than three years unopened, stored properly.
Can you decode a batch code?
No. Batch or lot codes (製造番号, 제조번호, 批号) are each maker's own system, and there's no general key. If the pack has only a code, look for a printed date elsewhere on the box or tube, or ask the brand.
Is food still safe after the best-before date?
A best-before date is about quality, so food doesn't turn unsafe the next day if it was stored right and never opened. Look, smell and use judgement. A use-by date is about safety: don't eat the food after it. This page reads labels; it can't tell you whether a particular food is safe.
Sources: Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 消費期限と賞味期限; Osaka Prefecture's guide to the Consumer Affairs Agency date formats and the agency's labelling Q&A (a year-month date runs to the month end); Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 소비기한 표시제 실시 안내; China's market regulator (SAMR) 2024 notice on date labels, the health commission's GB 7718-2025 Q&A, and the Civil Code's rule for counting months (articles 201 and 202).