What are the animals of the Chinese zodiac(Juni-shi)

今日は干支と六曜について学びましょう。(English) Let's learn about the zodiac and Rokuyo today.

What are the animals of the Chinese zodiac(Juni-shi)?

1)

The Japanese adopted the Chinese system for counting days, months, and years as well as the divisions of the day.

The complete cycle was 60 sets of symbols.

Today Japanese pay attention only to the 12 animals that come in a cycle.

There is a guardian buddha or bodhisattva for each year.

2)

The order of the animals in the zodiac, with the year according to the Western calendar, is as follows:

Rat: 2020

Ox (cow): 2021

Tiger: 2022

Rabbit: 2023

Dragon: 2024

Snake: 2025

Horse: 2026

Sheep: 2027

Monkey: 2028

Rooster (chicken): 2029

Dog: 2030

Boar (wild pig): 2031

3)

Like the Chinese, the Japanese believed that people born each of these years took on the character of the birth year's animal.

For example, those born in the Year of the Boar tended to run at top speed straight ahead.

In other words, they tended to have strong opinions and to be inflexible.

Few Japanese believe such things nowadays.

However, almost all Japanese know what sign the current year is.

The current year's animal is still used on New Year's greeting cards, amulets, and the ema sold at shrines and temples.

What are the "Rokuyo?"

1)

Rokuyo is a system of a repeating six-day series of lucky and unlucky days.

The custom was imported from China and was practiced in Japan from the Middle of the Edo period(1603 - 1868).

These designations of lucky and unlucky days are still printed on some calendars in Japan.

2)

The six designations follow this order:

Sensho: morning is lucky, afternoon is unlucky.

Tomobiki: only noontime in lucky.

Senbu: afternoon is lucky.

Butsumetsu: the most unlucky day

Taian: the most lucky day

Shakko: unlucky, except for noontime.

3)

Japanese today usually do not pay attention to these designations for ordinary events.

However, they may schedule a visit to a shrine, a wedding, or their celebration on a day that is Taian (great peace).

4)

They will avoid opening a business or holding a wedding on a day that is Butsumetsu, "Buddha's death."

They will also avoid having a funeral on a day that is Tomobiki, literally "bringing a friend."

That day is a good one for a wedding.

5)

This custom is dying out, but it is still strong in the countryside.

Any major life event that involves large groups of relatives will probably be set on a day considered fortunate to avoid social disapproval.

Rokuyo 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AD%E6%9B%9C

Zodiac 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E6%94%AF