Yakudoshi (Japanese Unlucky Years) Age Chart: Counting in Kazoedoshi, and the Years Before, Of and After

What yakudoshi are: milestone years marked in kazoedoshi

Yakudoshi are ages at which misfortune is said to be more likely. It's an old custom that already appears in Heian-period texts; the leading theory traces it to onmyoudou (traditional Japanese cosmology), but its exact origin is unknown. It has no medical or statistical basis.

On the other hand, the yakudoshi ages coincide with times when life changes a lot: starting work, marriage, promotion, raising children and changes in physical strength. Today it's commonly seen as a marker handed down as "a year to be careful".

• Yakudoshi are basically counted in kazoedoshi, not your actual age. This is where people first trip up.
• The years just before and after the honyaku (main unlucky year) are called maeyaku and atoyaku, and the 3 years are treated as a set.
• Ages and counting vary by region and by shrine or temple. The guidance of the place you visit is the final reference.

How to count kazoedoshi, and how it differs from your actual age

In kazoedoshi, you're 1 at birth and everyone adds 1 year each New Year's Day. Birthdays don't matter. As a formula:

• After this year's birthday: kazoedoshi = actual age + 1
• Before this year's birthday: kazoedoshi = actual age + 2
• The gap is 2 only between New Year's Day and your birthday, which is why people get confused ("it was different last year").

Since yakudoshi are marked in kazoedoshi, the "unlucky year" runs from January 1 to December 31 on the calendar, not from one birthday to the next.

Yakudoshi chart for men and women

The widely used yakudoshi ages are as follows. All are in kazoedoshi.

• 42 for men and 33 for women are called taiyaku and are considered the most serious years. A common explanation links them to wordplay, since 42 can be read "shi-ni" (to death) and 33 "san-zan" (terrible), but this is thought to be a reason attached later.
• Some shrines and temples include 61 as an unlucky year for women too. Conversely, some don't count 61 for men, so practice varies.
• 61 in kazoedoshi is the same year as kanreki (the 60th birthday celebration). Because a celebration and an unlucky year overlap, regions treat it differently.

Taking 2026 (Reiwa 8) as an example, here are the corresponding birth years. Kazoedoshi changes on New Year's Day, so if your birth year matches, it's your unlucky year regardless of whether your birthday has passed.

How to check your yakudoshi from your date of birth

1. 1

   Find this year's kazoedoshi

   Enter your date of birth in the Age & Anniversary Counter and it shows your actual age and kazoedoshi side by side. For yakudoshi, use the kazoedoshi.

2. 2

   Compare with the chart

   Check whether your kazoedoshi matches maeyaku, honyaku or atoyaku in the chart above. Being off by just 1 can still put you in maeyaku or atoyaku.

3. 3

   Check next year and the year after too

   Change the reference date to a date next year to see that year's kazoedoshi. Knowing in advance whether maeyaku is coming makes it easier to plan a visit.

4. 4

   Confirm with the place you'll visit

   Age boundaries differ between shrines and temples. If you've decided where to go, check the yakudoshi chart that shrine or temple posts as a final step.

Besides actual age and kazoedoshi, the Age & Anniversary Counter also shows your zodiac animal and the total number of days since you were born. To check the whole family at once, swap in each date of birth and just note down the kazoedoshi; it's quick.

When to go for yakubarai, and what to decide before the day

There's no fixed time for yakubarai (or yakuyoke, a blessing to ward off misfortune), but a well-known custom is to visit between New Year's Day, when kazoedoshi changes, and the day before Risshun (around February 3). It's also a busy period, so many people pick a convenient day without sticking to it.

• Timing: New Year's Day to Setsubun as a guide. Most shrines and temples accept requests after that too.
• Place: shrines tend to call it yakubarai and temples yakuyoke. Either is fine.
• Offering (hatsuhoryou or kitouryou): many places suggest around 5,000 to 10,000 yen, while others state a fixed amount. Check in advance.
• Clothing: most guidance says everyday clothes are fine as long as they're not flashy, but for a formal blessing, a collared outfit is the safe choice.
• Booking: some shrines and temples take reservations, others same-day requests only. Waits tend to be long around New Year.

How to approach yakudoshi

There's no rule that you must avoid changing jobs, marrying or moving during yakudoshi. In fact, yakudoshi ages tend to coincide with exactly these turning points. It's more practical to treat it as a year to check things more carefully than usual rather than a year to avoid things.

• Schedule things you tend to put off, such as health checks and dental check-ups, in this year.
• Use it as a year to review insurance and contracts. Having a milestone makes it easier to get round to it.
• Don't overload your schedule. Trouble caused by being too busy happens whether or not it's an unlucky year.
• Check your family's yakudoshi too. If it falls in a year when people gather, it's easier to discuss events.

Whether to take it seriously is up to each person. The one thing to avoid is pressing it on others or stirring up anxiety. As a tool for organizing age milestones, keeping the chart and the kazoedoshi formula to hand is all you need. How to calculate kazoedoshi itself is covered in How to Calculate Age, and longevity celebrations, also counted in kazoedoshi, in Japanese Longevity Celebrations Chart.

FAQ

Are yakudoshi counted in actual age or kazoedoshi?

Basically in kazoedoshi. In kazoedoshi you're 1 at birth and add 1 each New Year's Day; it's calculated as "the current year − your birth year + 1". After your birthday it's your actual age + 1, and before it your actual age + 2. Some shrines and temples use actual age, though, so check how the place you visit lists it.

Should I go for yakubarai in maeyaku and atoyaku too?

There's no rule. Some people visit in all 3 years, others only in the honyaku year. Maeyaku is often described as a year to prepare for honyaku and atoyaku as a year when the bad luck fades, and both are treated as lighter than honyaku. Decide to suit your own pace.

Why are 42 for men and 33 for women called the great unlucky years?

A widely known explanation links them to wordplay, with 42 read as "shi-ni" (to death) and 33 as "san-zan" (terrible), but this is thought to have been attached later. It's more natural to see them as ages when physical strength and life circumstances change greatly, which is why they've been treated seriously as years to be careful. There's no statistical basis for them.

Is there a way to check my family's yakudoshi all at once?

The reliable way is to work out kazoedoshi from each date of birth and compare with the chart. The Age & Anniversary Counter shows actual age and kazoedoshi together when you enter a date of birth, and changing the reference date to a later year shows that year's kazoedoshi. For the family, swap in each date of birth and just note down the kazoedoshi; it takes little time.