🧮 Calculators & Daily Life

Yakudoshi Calculator

Pick a birth date and gender to see the maeyaku, hon'yaku and atoyaku years (Japanese unlucky ages) in kazoedoshi, with the calendar year and approximate age. Based on the convention used at most shrines (men 25/42/61, women 19/33/37/61). All in your browser.

Examples (click to try)
Gender
Pick a birth date to see your yakudoshi years

How to use the yakudoshi calculator

Pick a "Birth date" and choose "Gender" (Male/Female). The table of maeyaku, hon'yaku and atoyaku years appears instantly. Each year is based on kazoedoshi, with the calendar year and the approximate Western age you turn that year. The row matching the current year (when you open the page) is highlighted as "this year". Use "Copy table" to export it as text.

What is yakudoshi?

Yakudoshi are ages traditionally considered unlucky in Japan — years when a person is thought to be more prone to misfortune or ill health. The ages differ for men and women, and they are counted in kazoedoshi, where you are 1 at birth and gain a year each New Year's Day rather than on your birthday. Many people visit a shrine for yakubarai, a purification rite, during a yakudoshi year. It is a custom rather than a rule, so how much weight it carries varies from person to person and region to region — this calculator just works out which calendar years they fall in for you.

Example: a man born in 1984

For a man born in 1984, the hon'yaku at kazoedoshi 42 falls in 2025 (maeyaku 2024, atoyaku 2026). A man's 42 is the daiyaku (great unlucky year), so that card gets a daiyaku badge. The next hon'yaku is kazoedoshi 61 in 2044.

  • Hon'yaku (main): kazoedoshi 25/42/61 for men, 19/33/37/61 for women.
  • Maeyaku / Atoyaku: the year before and after each hon'yaku.
  • Daiyaku: men's 42 and women's 33 — the years to watch most.

Related tools

To move between Gregorian and Japanese eras (Reiwa, Heisei, Shōwa), use the Japanese Era (Wareki) Converter; to count days from a date or work out an age, the Date Calculator is handy — for example to see a yakudoshi year in wareki, or count days until a purification visit.

FAQ

Is yakudoshi counted in kazoedoshi or actual age?
Yakudoshi is generally counted in kazoedoshi (the traditional Japanese count), where you are 1 at birth and gain a year each New Year's Day. This tool calculates in kazoedoshi and also shows the calendar year and the approximate Western age you reach that year for reference.
What ages are the unlucky years for men and women?
By the convention used at most shrines, the main (hon'yaku) years are kazoedoshi 25, 42 and 61 for men, and 19, 33, 37 and 61 for women. Men's 42 and women's 33 are considered daiyaku (the great unlucky year). The year before each is maeyaku, and the year after is atoyaku. Customs can vary by region and shrine.
When does a yakudoshi year start and end? When is the purification?
Because it is counted in kazoedoshi, the unlucky year generally runs from New Year's Day to year-end. Many people receive yakubarai (purification) between the new year and around Setsubun (early February), but there is no strict rule. Follow the customs of your shrine or region.