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From: about the 0 in the Zero
Date: 7/18/2004
Time: 5:09:51 AM
Remote Name: 24.128.206.186
Actually, the designation comes not from Showa (the dynasty year of Hirohito's reign) but from Koki, a calendar based on the legendary founding of the Japanese throne by the sun goddess. 1940 was the 15th year of Showa and the 2600th year of Koki.
Starting in the 1930s, all Japanese military equipment was designated by the last two or one digits of the Koki year in which it was taken into service. The really big year for aircraft was 1937 or Koki 2597, so you will see Type 97 for almost every kind of aircraft: bomber, fighter, recce, whatever.
Though it went into service in 1939 in China, those were prototypes or service-test aircraft. The Zero was formally adopted by the navy in 1940, or Koki 2600, so it got the designation Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter, or rei-sen for short.
For more about the Japanese calendars, see http://www.warbirdforum.com/zero.htm
Just my two yen :)
-- Dan Ford at the Warbird's Forum
(glad to see this site!)