How to Count the 49th Day After Death in Japanese Buddhism: 48 Days After the Date of Death, with Dates from the 7th Day to the 100th Day

The 49th day counts the date of death as day 1

In Buddhism, the 49 days after death are called the intermediate period (chūin), with a memorial milestone every 7 days. The seventh of these, falling on day 49, is the 49th-day service (shijūkunichi, also called the "seventh seventh day", nananoka). The usual point of confusion is which day to start counting from; across most of Japan, the day of death is counted as day 1.

For example, if someone died on Friday 10 April 2026, 10 April is day 1, 16 April is day 7 (the 7th-day service), and 28 May is day 49 (the 49th day). Thinking of it as "49 days after the date of death" and choosing 29 May puts you a day off, so be careful.

This is the same way of counting as oshichiya, the celebration on a baby's 7th day of life, where the day of birth is day 1. Remember that, unlike age or elapsed days which count from day 0, this method includes the first day, and you won't get confused.

Dates from the 7th day to the 49th day and the 100th day

Here are the seven services of the intermediate period and the 100th day that follows, with dates for a death on Friday 10 April 2026.

Of these, the 49th day is the one still usually held with relatives invited. Many families hold it as the service marking the end of mourning (kiake), together with the interment of the ashes and a meal. The 7th-day service is now generally moved forward and held on the day of the funeral (kurikomi shonanoka), and the 14th to 42nd days are almost always either observed by the immediate family alone or skipped.

In some regions and sects, the 35th day marks the end of mourning instead. Some areas also end mourning on the 35th day to avoid the 49th-day period spanning three calendar months, a custom called mitsuki-matagi (How to tell if the 49th day spans three months). The 100th day is also called sokkoku-ki, the point at which mourners stop weeping and return to daily life.

A mental-math trick: the 49th day falls on the weekday before the date of death

48 days is one day short of 7 weeks (49 days). So the 49th day always falls on the weekday just before the weekday of death. The same goes for the 7th day (6 days later), so all seven services of the intermediate period fall on the same weekday.

1. 1

   Check the weekday of death

   10 April 2026 is a Friday.

2. 2

   Find the same weekday 7 weeks later

   7 weeks (49 days) after 10 April is Friday 29 May.

3. 3

   The day before is the 49th day

   The day before 29 May, Thursday 28 May, is the 49th day. The 7th to 42nd days all fall on Thursdays too.

The 100th day is 99 days after the date of death, and 99 days is 14 weeks (98 days) plus 1, so it falls on the weekday after the weekday of death. For a death on Friday 10 April, the 100th day is Saturday 18 July. You can use this to double-check against a calendar.

Parts of Kansai count from the day before death

In some parts of the Kansai region, the custom is to count the day before death as day 1. It comes from the importance placed on otaiya, the service held on the eve, and with this method all the intermediate-period services fall one day earlier.

The table is for a death on 10 April 2026. With the Kansai method, the 49th day is 47 days after the date of death. Some families also hold the service itself on the eve (otaiya), so the actual day of the service can be as much as two days earlier than under the usual method.

If it falls on a weekday, move it earlier to a weekend

It's common for the calculated 49th day to fall on a weekday when relatives can't gather. In that case, the service is usually held on a weekend or public holiday before the 49th day. Based on the idea that memorials should be held early rather than late, moving it later is generally avoided.

• Died 10 April: 49th day is Thursday 28 May → the nearest earlier days off are Sunday 24 May and Saturday 23 May
• Died 25 January: 49th day is Saturday 14 March → already a Saturday
• Died 4 October: 49th day is Saturday 21 November → already a Saturday

Temples and venues for the meal fill up from weekends first, so discuss the 49th-day date soon after the funeral. If the interment is held at the same time, engraving the gravestone (posthumous name, date of death, age at death) also takes time. How age at death is counted is explained in the article on kyōnen and gyōnen.

The rokuyō (tomobiki, butsumetsu and so on) are sometimes considered when setting a funeral date, but are usually ignored for memorial services (The meaning of the rokuyō and choosing dates). The condolence money envelope brought to the 49th-day service is generally inscribed goButsuzen (御仏前) (How to write on a condolence money envelope).

Enter the date of death in the Memorial Service Dates tool, and it lists the dates from the 7th to the 49th day and the 100th day with the weekday and rokuyō, lets you switch to the Kansai method, and shows the nearest earlier weekend or public holiday.

FAQ

Is the day of death included when counting the 49th day?

Across most of Japan, yes. The day of death is day 1, so the 49th day is 48 days after the date of death. For a death on 10 April 2026, it's 28 May.

When is the 7th-day service?

Day 7 counting the day of death as day 1, i.e. 6 days after the date of death. Nowadays it's generally moved forward and held on the day of the funeral (kurikomi shonanoka).

Why is the 49th day one day earlier in Kansai?

Because in parts of Kansai the custom is to count the day before death as day 1. It comes from the importance placed on otaiya, the service held on the eve. Ask your family temple which method to use.

Can the 49th-day service be moved later?

Generally it isn't moved later; it's held earlier, on a weekend or public holiday before the 49th day. If you really can't make it work, consult the temple.

When is the 100th day?

Day 100 counting the day of death as day 1, 99 days after the date of death. For a death on 10 April 2026, it's Saturday 18 July. It's often observed by the family alone, or skipped.