Japanese Longevity Celebrations (Kanreki, Koki and More): How Ages Are Counted, with a Quick Reference Chart
Kanreki is celebrated at 60, but are koki and kiju celebrated by actual age or by kazoedoshi (the traditional age)? And where do the names come from? This article covers the list of Japanese longevity celebrations (toshi-iwai) and how they're counted, why kanreki alone is treated differently, how to decide when to celebrate, and how to check which year applies from a date of birth.
Why kanreki is at 60
The "reki" in kanreki refers to the sexagenary cycle (eto). Eto is often thought to mean just the 12 zodiac animals, but it originally combines the 10 heavenly stems (甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, 癸) with the 12 earthly branches, giving 60 combinations.
The combinations complete a cycle in 60 years, and in the 61st year you return to the same eto as your birth year. This "return of the calendar" is kanreki. It's 61 in kazoedoshi and 60 in actual age. Unlike other longevity celebrations, kanreki is celebrated at an actual age of 60 because the cycle is completed after a full 60 years.
Longevity celebration chart
Showing the ages in kazoedoshi is the traditional form. Most of the names come from the shapes of kanji or from classical phrases.
| Name | Age (kazoedoshi) | Origin | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanreki (還暦) | 61 (actual age 60) | The sexagenary cycle completes and returns to your birth year | Red |
| Koki (古希) | 70 | From Du Fu's poem: "Living to seventy has been rare since ancient times" | Purple |
| Kiju (喜寿) | 77 | The cursive form of 喜 looks like 七十七 (77) | Purple |
| Sanju (傘寿) | 80 | The abbreviated form of 傘 splits into 八 (8) and 十 (10) | Yellow, golden brown |
| Beiju (米寿) | 88 | 米 can be broken down into 八十八 (88) | Yellow, golden brown |
| Sotsuju (卒寿) | 90 | The abbreviated form of 卒, 卆, looks like 九十 (90) | White, purple |
| Hakuju (白寿) | 99 | Removing 一 (1) from 百 (100) leaves 白 | White |
| Hyakuju (百寿) | 100 | A hundred years. Also called kiju (紀寿) | White, peach |
- Hanju (半寿), 81: 半 can be broken down into 八十一 (81). Also called banju (盤寿).
- Chaju (茶寿), 108: the grass radical of 茶 is read as two 十 (10 each) and the lower part as 八十八 (88), totalling 108.
- Kouju (皇寿), 111: 皇 is split into 白 (99) and 王 (十 and 二, 12), totalling 111.
- In some regions, besides kanreki at 61, it's customary to celebrate 77 and 88 in kazoedoshi especially lavishly.
Kazoedoshi or actual age: which to use
Traditionally they're celebrated by kazoedoshi, but many families now use actual age, and neither is officially correct. If you're unsure, thinking in the following order makes it easier to decide.
- 1
Put the person's and family's wishes first
With longevity celebrations, what matters is whether the person is happy, not the form. Some people feel "I'm not that old yet", so quietly asking in advance avoids a misstep.
- 2
Follow regional and family custom
For gatherings of relatives, following custom saves explanations. Checking once with an older relative also gives you something to talk about on the day.
- 3
Think of kanreki alone at an actual age of 60
Kanreki is based on the sexagenary cycle completing in a full 60 years, so it's normally celebrated at an actual age of 60 (61 in kazoedoshi). This is the one exception.
- 4
When in doubt, use actual age
You can celebrate on the birthday, which makes planning easier and invitations simpler to write. In practice, standardizing on actual age causes the least disagreement.
In kazoedoshi, you're 1 at birth and add 1 year every New Year's Day. After your birthday it equals your actual age plus 1; before it, plus 2. Enter a date of birth in the Age & Anniversary Counter to see actual age, kazoedoshi and zodiac sign at the same time.
Deciding when to celebrate
There's no rule about the day either. Choosing a day when people can easily gather is the realistic approach.
- The birthday itself or the nearest weekend: the standard approach when celebrating by actual age. Once a year and easy to remember.
- New Year: when celebrating by kazoedoshi, everyone adds a year on New Year's Day, so celebrating at the start of the year fits well.
- Family visit season: timed for when distant family gather. In practice, this is often what decides it.
- Respect for the Aged Day: some families combine it with celebrations for longevity. Note that Respect for the Aged Day is a separate occasion from the longevity celebrations themselves.
Preparation steps
- 1
Confirm the applicable year
Enter the date of birth and check actual age and kazoedoshi. Decide which to celebrate by first, then work out the year.
- 2
Decide the date and place
Fix the date first based on the number of people and travel distances. If there's a meal, also check the seating and ease of access.
- 3
Choose a gift
There are traditional colours, but you don't have to follow them. Since tastes in things to wear vary, more people are choosing lasting experiences such as photos or meals.
- 4
Leave a keepsake
Prepare one thing you can look back on later: photos, a group message card, a record of the family meal. Whether this remains shapes the impression more than how the day runs.
Where people mind superstitions, certain gifts may be avoided: combs (kushi, which evokes 苦 "suffering" and 死 "death"), Japanese tea (associated with funerals), and clocks or shoes (which can be taken as urging hard work). Many families don't mind, so judge by your relationship with the person. Milestone ages are counted in kazoedoshi; how to work it out is covered in How to Calculate Age.
FAQ
- Is kanreki at an actual age of 60 or 61 in kazoedoshi?
- They refer to the same year. There are 60 eto combinations, which complete a cycle in 60 years, returning to the same eto as your birth year in the 61st year. The cycle is completed after a full 60 years, so kanreki is at an actual age of 60, which equals 61 in kazoedoshi. Other celebrations are traditionally given in kazoedoshi, but kanreki is normally celebrated at an actual age of 60.
- Can koki and kiju be celebrated by actual age?
- Yes. Traditionally they use kazoedoshi, but many families now celebrate by actual age, and neither is officially correct. It also has the advantage of matching the birthday, which makes planning easier. For gatherings of relatives, checking custom once with an older relative is reassuring.
- Where do names like kiju and beiju come from?
- Most come from the shapes of kanji. Kiju: the cursive 喜 looks like 七十七 (77). Sanju: the abbreviated 傘 splits into 八 and 十. Beiju: 米 breaks down into 八十八 (88). Sotsuju: the abbreviated 卒, 卆, looks like 九十 (90). Hakuju: removing 一 from 百 leaves 白 (99). Only koki comes from Du Fu's poem "Living to seventy has been rare since ancient times".
- Is there a way to find out how many years until the next celebration?
- The reliable way is to work out actual age and kazoedoshi from the date of birth and compare with the chart. The Age & Anniversary Counter shows actual age, kazoedoshi and zodiac sign together, and its Anniversary tab lists total days and anniversary milestones well into the future. For milestones that need restaurant bookings or photos, knowing early makes preparation easier.
Tools in this article
Related articles
How to Calculate the Number of Days Between Two Dates (and N Days From a Date)
“How many days are there from April 1 to October 21?” “What day of the week is it 100 days from today?” “If something is due within 30 days of a contract, when is the deadline?” Counting days looks like a single subtraction, but whether you include the first day shifts the answer by one, and miscounting the length of a month or a leap year can shift it by another day or two. This guide covers the basic formula for the days between two dates, when to count one end or both ends (excluding or including the first day), how to count across months, a day-of-year chart, how to find the date and weekday N days before or after, why “one month” is not the same as “30 days”, and the Excel and Google Sheets formulas, all checked against real dates.
Read article →Kyōnen vs Gyōnen: How to Calculate Age at Death in Traditional Counting and Write It on Memorial Tablets and Gravestones
When writing the deceased's age on a Buddhist memorial tablet (ihai), the inscription on the family grave (boshi) or the thank-you card for funeral guests, many Japanese families wonder whether to use kyōnen or gyōnen, and whether to use traditional age (kazoedoshi) or actual age. The same person's age can differ by 1–2 years depending on the method, so relatives sometimes disagree. This article explains the difference between kyōnen and gyōnen, how to calculate kyōnen in traditional counting and how it differs from actual age, examples by date of birth, and how to write it on tablets and gravestones, including whether to add the character 歳 (sai, "years old").
Read article →Choosing a Date to Register Your Marriage in Japan: Lucky Days and the 2027 Taian Weekends and Holidays
When choosing the day to register a marriage in Japan, many couples go by lucky days on the traditional calendar such as Taian or Tenshanichi. But while 2027 has 60 Taian days, only 15 of them fall on weekends or public holidays. This article covers which lucky days are chosen for registering a marriage and which are avoided, lists the days from October 2026 through 2027 where lucky days overlap and the Taian weekends and holidays, and explains what to watch when submitting the marriage registration form on a weekday or a day the office is closed.
Read article →