A Japanese man's 60th birthday is called Kanreki, the recognition of his “second infancy.” The Japanese characters in the word Kanreki literally mean “return” and “calendar.” The traditional calendar, which was based on the Chinese calendar, was organized on 60-year cycles. The cycle of life returns to its starting point in 60 years, and as such, Kanreki celebrates that point in a man’s life when his personal calendar has returned to the calendar sign under which he was born.
Ga No Iwai (also known as Toshiiwai) is a Japanese rite of passage celebrated at various ages to pray for long life. This tradition was brought to Japan from China, and originally was celebrated once every ten years beginning when one turned 40 according to the traditional Japanese method of calculating age. Since the sixteenth century, Ga No Iwai has come to be celebrated beginning when one turns 60 (Kanreki), and subsequently at ages 70 (Koki), 77 (Kiju), 80 (Sanju), 88 (Beiju), 90 (Sotsuju), and 99 (Hakuju).
The celebration of one’s 77th birthday is an example of Ga No Iwai. Age 77 is the “joyous year,” and to live until that age is indeed fortunate. The Japanese characters for Kiju literally mean “joy” and “long life.”
The celebration of one’s 88th birthday, known as Beiju or “Yone-no-Iwai,” became popular since the Japanese characters for “88,” when written together, resemble the character for “rice” (yone, also read as bei).
From the very beginning of history, rice was respected by the people, for it was their food, their life, their very livelihood and happiness. An integral and fundamental part of Japanese society, rice symbolized purity and goodness. Thus the 88th birthday is celebrated as a happy and joyous occasion.
| Wood | ki | Jupiter | ||
| Fire | hi | Mars | ||
| Earth | tsuchi | Saturn | ||
| Metal | kane | Venus | ||
| Water | mizu | Mercury |
These five elements are considered as five energies or the mutually arising order/cycle of the fundamental forces: (1) wood, which as fuel gives rise to (2) fire, which creates ash and gives rise to (3) earth, which in its mines contains (4) metal, which (as on the surface of a metal mirror) attracts dew and so gives rise to (5) water, and this in turn nourishes (1) wood.
These forces were also arranged in the order of "mutual conquest" in which (1) wood, in the form of a plow, overcomes (2) earth, which, by damming and constraint, conquers (3) water which, by quenching, overcomes (4) fire which, by melting, liquifies (5) metal, which cuts (1) wood.
Wood: Ki-no-e Elder Brother of Wood and Ki-no-to Younger Brother of Wood Fire: Hi-no-e Elder Brother of Fire and Hi-no-to Younger Brother of Fire Earth: Tsuchi-no-e Elder Brother of Earth and Tsuchi-no-to Younger Brother of Earth Metal: Ka-no-e Elder Brother of Metal and Ka-no-to Younger Brother of Metal Water: Mizu-no-e Elder Brother of Water and Mizu-no-to Younger Brother of Water
Ne Rat Ushi Ox Tora Tiger U Hare Tatsu Dragon Mi Snake Uma Horse Hitsuji Goat Saru Monkey Tori Rooster Inu Dog I Boar (Pig)
The ten trunks and twelve branches combine to form compounds such as Hinoto I ("Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Boar").
Complete Cycle of 60 Combinations
1947 Shôwa 22 Hinoto I Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Boar 1948 Shôwa 23 Tsuchinoe Ne Elder brother of Earth, Year of the Rat 1949 Shôwa 24 Tsuchinoto Ushi Younger brother of Earth, Year of the Ox 1950 Shôwa 25 Kanoe Tora Elder brother of Metal, Year of the Tiger 1951 Shôwa 26 Kanoto U Younger brother of Metal, Year of the Hare 1952 Shôwa 27 Mizunoe Tatsu Elder brother of Water, Year of the Dragon 1953 Shôwa 28 Mizunoto Mi Younger brother of Water, Year of the Snake 1954 Shôwa 29 Kinoe Uma Elder brother of Wood, Year of the Horse 1955 Shôwa 30 Kinoto Hitsuji Younger brother of Wood, Year of the Goat 1956 Shôwa 31 Hinoe Saru Elder brother of Fire, Year of the Monkey 1957 Shôwa 32 Hinoto Tori Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Rooster 1958 Shôwa 33 Tsuchinoe Inu Elder brother of Earth, Year of the Dog 1959 Shôwa 34 Tsuchinoto I Younger brother of Earth, Year of the Boar 1960 Shôwa 35 Kanoe Ne Elder brother of Metal, Year of the Rat 1961 Shôwa 36 Kanoto Ushi Younger brother of Metal, Year of the Ox 1962 Shôwa 37 Mizunoe Tora Elder brother of Water, Year of the Tiger 1963 Shôwa 38 Mizunoto U Younger brother of Water, Year of the Hare 1964 Shôwa 39 Kinoe Tatsu Elder brother of Wood, Year of the Dragon 1965 Shôwa 40 Kinoto Mi Younger brother of Wood, Year of the Snake 1966 Shôwa 41 Hinoe Uma Elder brother of Fire, Year of the Horse 1967 Shôwa 42 Hinoto Hitsuji Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Goat 1968 Shôwa 43 Tsuchinoe Saru Elder brother of Earth, Year of the Monkey 1969 Shôwa 44 Tsuchinoto Tori Younger brother of Earth, Year of the Rooster 1970 Shôwa 45 Kanoe Inu Elder brother of Metal, Year of the Dog 1971 Shôwa 46 Kanoto I Younger brother of Metal, Year of the Boar 1972 Shôwa 47 Mizunoe Ne Elder brother of Water, Year of the Rat 1973 Shôwa 48 Mizunoto Ushi Younger brother of Water, Year of the Ox 1974 Shôwa 49 Kinoe Tora Elder brother of Wood, Year of the Tiger 1975 Shôwa 50 Kinoto U Younger brother of Wood, Year of the Hare 1976 Shôwa 51 Hinoe Tatsu Elder brother of Fire, Year of the Dragon 1977 Shôwa 52 Hinoto Mi Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Snake 1978 Shôwa 53 Tsuchinoe Uma Elder brother of Earth, Year of the Horse 1979 Shôwa 54 Tsuchinoto Hitsuji Younger brother of Earth, Year of the Goat 1980 Shôwa 55 Kanoe Saru Elder brother of Metal, Year of the Monkey 1981 Shôwa 56 Kanoto Tori Younger brother of Metal, Year of the Rooster 1982 Shôwa 57 Mizunoe Inu Elder brother of Water, Year of the Dog 1983 Shôwa 58 Mizunoto I Younger brother of Water, Year of the Boar 1984 Shôwa 59 Kinoe Ne Elder brother of Wood, Year of the Rat 1985 Shôwa 60 Kinoto Ushi Younger brother of Wood, Year of the Ox 1986 Shôwa 61 Hinoe Tora Elder brother of Fire, Year of the Tiger 1987 Shôwa 62 Hinoto U Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Hare 1988 Shôwa 63 Tsuchinoe Tatsu Elder brother of Earth, Year of the Dragon 1989 Shôwa 64/Heisei 1 Tsuchinoto Mi Younger brother of Earth, Year of the Snake 1990 Heisei 2 Kanoe Uma Elder brother of Metal, Year of the Horse 1991 Heisei 3 Kanoto Hitsuji Younger brother of Metal, Year of the Goat 1992 Heisei 4 Mizunoe Saru Elder brother of Water, Year of the Monkey 1993 Heisei 5 Mizunoto Tori Younger brother of Water, Year of the Rooster 1994 Heisei 6 Kinoe Inu Elder brother of Wood, Year of the Dog 1995 Heisei 7 Kinoto I Younger brother of Wood, Year of the Boar 1996 Heisei 8 Hinoe Ne Elder brother of Fire, Year of the Rat 1997 Heisei 9 Hinoto Ushi Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Ox 1998 Heisei 10 Tsuchinoe Tora Elder brother of Earth, Year of the Tiger 1999 Heisei 11 Tsuchinoto U Younger brother of Earth, Year of the Hare 2000 Heisei 12 Kanoe Tatsu Elder brother of Metal, Year of the Dragon 2001 Heisei 13 Kanoto Mi Younger brother of Metal, Year of the Snake 2002 Heisei 14 Mizunoe Uma Elder brother of Water, Year of the Horse 2003 Heisei 15 Mizunoto Hitsuji Younger brother of Water, Year of the Goat 2004 Heisei 16 Kinoe Saru Elder brother of Wood, Year of the Monkey 2005 Heisei 17 Kinoto Tori Younger brother of Wood, Year of the Rooster 2006 Heisei 18 Hinoe Inu Elder brother of Fire, Year of the Dog 2007 Heisei 19 Hinoto I Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Boar
Links Related to Those Born in 1947
(Younger brother of Fire, Year of the Boar)
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