While it may not come up often in your daily life, there will probably be times when you want to know if year XX in the Gregorian calendar is year XX in the Japanese calendar.
The opposite may also be the case.
In those cases, use this app.
This app will tell you "year XX in the Gregorian calendar = year XX in the Japanese calendar" and the zodiac sign for that year.
The official name is the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches, but this can also be found.
There is also an explanation of the "Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches."