Calendars & dates / Japan
Kazoedoshi Calculator (数え年) and Yakudoshi Years
Work out your kazoedoshi, the traditional Japanese age counted from one at birth and increased every New Year's Day, and see whether this is a yakudoshi unlucky year, with the years before and after and the dates of your coming yakudoshi.
Kazoedoshi Calculator (数え年) and Yakudoshi Years: Kazoedoshi is the calendar year minus the birth year plus one, the same for everyone born in a year: someone born in 2000 is 27 throughout 2026. The yakudoshi ages are counted in kazoedoshi: 25, 42, and 61 for men, and 19, 33, 37, and often 61 for women, each with mae-yaku the year before and ato-yaku the year after. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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| Main unlucky age | Mae-yaku | Hon-yaku | Ato-yaku |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 2044 | 2045 | 2046 |
In traditional Japanese reckoning, kazoedoshi, a baby is one year old at birth and everyone gains a year on New Year's Day, so the age is the current year minus the birth year plus one. Shrines and temples still use it for yakudoshi, the unlucky years: 25, 42, and 61 for men and 19, 33, 37, and often 61 for women, with 42 and 33 the most serious. Practice varies by shrine; some use the lunar New Year.
Where it is used
Japan switched to counting age from birthdays by law in 1950, but kazoedoshi is still used for yakudoshi, some memorial services, and traditional celebrations.
Ages by birthday
For your exact age in years, months, and days, use the age calculator.
How to use it
- Enter your year of birth.
- Choose your sex for the yakudoshi ages.
- Read your kazoedoshi and your unlucky years.
Privacy & limitations
Everything is calculated in your browser.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Why is kazoedoshi one or two more than my age?
Because a baby counts as one at birth, and everyone adds a year on 1 January rather than on their birthday.
Which yakudoshi are the most serious?
Taiyaku, the great unlucky years: 42 for men and 33 for women, chosen partly because the numbers can be read as “death” and “misery” in Japanese.
What do people do in a yakudoshi?
Many visit a shrine or temple for a yakubarai purification, often around New Year or Setsubun in early February.
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