• Emperor Shōwa (1901-1989), 124th Emperor of Japan
• Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu
• Shōwa (album) by The Gerogerigegege

Japanese era names:

• Jōwa (Heian period) (承和), alternatively read as Shōwa, from 834 to 848
• Shōwa (first) (正和), from 1312 to 1317
• Shōwa period (昭和), from 1926 to 1989

Japanese place names:

• Shōwa, Akita, a town in Akita Prefecture
• Shōwa, Yamanashi, a town in Yamanashi Prefecture
• Shōwa, a former town in Tokyo, now part of Akishima, Tokyo
• Shōwa-ku, Nagoya, a ward of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
• Shōwa, Fukushima, a village in Fukushima Prefecture
• Shōwa, Gunma, a village in Gunma Prefecture
• Showa Station, a Japanese research station located in Antarctica

Japanese educational institutions:

• Showa University in Tokyo
• Showa Women's University in Tokyo
• Showa Pharmaceutical University (昭和薬科大学 Shōwa Yakka Daigaku) in Tokyo
• Showa Academia Musicae (昭和音楽大学 Shōwa Ongaku Daigaku) in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture