It is known that some numbers are considered unlucky in the Japanese tradition: 4 (shi, because it sounds like the word for death), 9 and obviously 13 - which was “borrowed” from the Western tradition.
But it is less known that Japan has a unique approach to this tradition: there are also… unlucky ages. Called yakudoshi, these ages are different for men and women: the unlucky years for women are 19, 33 and 37, 33 being the “worst", while men are unlucky at 25, 42 and 61, with 42 being the most jinxed… During these years it is considered that important decisions, loans and large projects should be postponed…
Of course, the tradition also establishes some alternatives: the Shinto shrines and the Buddhist temples are performing purification rituals, the bells are ringed a number of times equal to the age and good luck charms are widely available…
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Yesterday’s Japan Photo:Japanese superlatives, the third-longest cantilever bridge in the world, Minato Bridge |
