Yakudoshi – The calamitous years for the Japanese

Yakudoshi [厄年] literally means critical or calamitous years. It is a custom among the Japanese to believe that certain ages are considered bad, full of misfortune, and that individuals become more susceptible to disasters, misfortunes, or illnesses.

In Buddhism, the calamitous periods in life are compared to the knots of bamboo. That hard knot in bamboo is necessary for its continuity and to maintain its strength. Similarly, the calamitous years are necessary for us to gain experiences.

These ages are idealized according to Chinese yin/yang and can also be considered ages of transformation and maturity.

List of calamitous years – bad ages

The years of misfortune can be seen in the table below and may vary according to gender and region. The calamitous years are divided into Maetaku, Honyaku, and Atoyaku, which refer to before, during, and after the critical age.

Honyaku literally means: Great Calamity. Many people also believe that the previous year Maeyaku and the year after Yakudoshi (Atoyaku) are also calamitous and take great care.

For men [男性] their calamitous years are:

Maeyaku [前厄]	honyaku [本厄]	Atoyaku [後厄]
24歳	25歳	26歳
41歳	42歳	43歳
60歳	61歳	62歳

For women [女性] their calamitous years are:

Maeyaku [前厄]	honyaku [本厄]	Atoyaku [後厄]
18歳	19歳	20歳
32歳	33歳	34歳
36歳	37歳	38歳

Why do the Japanese believe in yakudoshi?

Why do the Japanese believe in this? Well, you know they are full of superstitions. But the explanations for each age are as follows:

• 42 [四十二] can be pronounced “shi-ni” [四二], which has the same phoneme as the word “death” 死に.
• The number 33 pronounced as “Sanzan” means “terrible,” or “disastrous”;
• Some proponents of this theory explain that 25 is the end of puberty for men and 19 for women, and they say that these years are suffered full of challenges.
• Similarly, 61 and 37 mark the end of adulthood for them. (strange because Japanese women at 37 have the face of 20);

Well, who are we to question Japanese beliefs? It is quite strange to believe in such superstitions. But to strengthen such beliefs, various coincidences happen, and moreover, the belief and the psychology of the person make them believe they are indeed having bad days.

Read also: Japanese Superstitions – Bad luck and good luck in Japan

How do the Japanese avoid these years?

Many Japanese do various things to avoid bad luck during this age. Things like:

• Family and friends throw a party to celebrate the unlucky person’s birthday, and they return the favor the following year;
• Some usually visit shrines such as: Chiba Shrine, Nishiarai Daishi, Aoyagi Daishi, Myohoji, and others;
• Some usually wear amulets and objects to attract luck during this age;
• In the past, people practiced a rite by drinking Sake under a plum tree at temples to ward off calamities. Nowadays, however, they pray with the Sake contained in a gourd;
• Those who went to the temples received an amulet called Ofuda to be placed in their homes for protection. When the year of Yakudoshi passed, they returned them, thanking for nothing bad happening;

Yakudoshi was not considered just a superstition, but rather a belief that was part of the daily life of the Japanese. But as the situation stands, almost every year is calamitous.

Yakubarai – ceremony to ward off suffering

The Buddhist ceremony Yakubarai is performed to ward off suffering. The ceremony can be conducted individually or alongside other ceremonies like Kannon Hōyo.

Yakubarai is performed in the year of Maeyaku, preferably in the early months of the year, and then in the year of Atoyaku, as a thank you for the end of the critical period. It is common to hold the ceremony with friends and family along with a party.

According to such tradition, it is believed to be good fortune for men in Honyaku to visit temples and perform ceremonies to ask for protection and celebrate their birthday with a special party.

It is not exactly known how these superstitions originated. What do you think? If you liked the article, leave your comments and share with friends.