Yakudoshi Calculator — Japanese Unlucky Years (Maeyaku · Honyaku · Atoyaku)
Enter your birth year to see your Japanese yakudoshi (unlucky) years by kazoe-doshi age — maeyaku, honyaku and atoyaku for men and women — and whether this year is one of them.
🔒 Runs entirely in your browser. Your input and output are never sent to a server or stored — fully private.
Your yakudoshi years
| Stage | Kazoe age | Calendar year |
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Yakudoshi ages are counted in kazoe-doshi (you are 1 at birth, +1 every New Year): the main unlucky ages are 25, 42 and 61 for men and 19, 33, 37 and 61 for women, each flanked by a maeyaku and atoyaku year. Exact ages and customs vary by region and shrine — this is cultural tradition, not a prediction.
About this tool
This yakudoshi calculator tells you, from a birth year, whether this year is one of your traditional "unlucky years" — and lays out the full timetable of maeyaku (the year before), honyaku (the main year) and atoyaku (the year after). Yakudoshi is counted in kazoedoshi (you are 1 at birth, +1 every New Year): the main years are 25, 42 and 61 for men and 19, 33, 37 and 61 for women, with 42 and 33 considered the most significant. Many people visit a shrine for a purification rite (yakubarai). Computed entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the yakudoshi ages differ from my actual age?
Because yakudoshi uses kazoedoshi, the traditional count: you are 1 at birth and everyone adds a year on 1 January. So in the calendar year when a man turns 41 by Western count (before his birthday he is still 40), his kazoedoshi is 42 — the main yakudoshi. This tool does that conversion for you and shows the exact calendar years, so there is no need to work it out by hand.
Do all shrines use the same ages?
Mostly, but not always. The 25/42/61 and 19/33/37/61 sets are the common standard, yet some shrines and regions add or shift ages (61 is sometimes counted for women too, some temples list 37 for men), and a few count from risshun rather than New Year. If you plan a yakubarai rite, check the age table of the specific shrine — most post one at the entrance and on their website each year.
Should I be worried about a yakudoshi year?
Yakudoshi is a cultural tradition, not a prediction — there is no evidence that misfortune clusters in those years. Many people treat it as a prompt for a health check, a shrine visit, or simply a mindful year, and that reframing is the healthiest way to engage with it. This tool reports the traditional dates only; your birth year is processed locally and never leaves your browser.