Do you believe in astrological signs? Whatever the answer is, it's undeniable that astrology and horoscopes have been with humanity for many years. For some people, horoscope and astrology have strong effects in their daily life. For others, it's just a time waster you read once in a while to have fun.
But, did you know that zodiac in Japan is important and it's connected with traditions and history? These traditions are connected with New Year and hope for a promising future.
In this article, we're going to learn the Japanese zodiac and the meaning of each sign. Not only that, but also the "Traditional" zodiac as well.
If you're learning Japanese and you're interested in horoscope or just want to know more about Japanese cultural traditions, then read below! Maybe you might make new friends by asking their zodiacal sign. Who knows?
How was the Japanese zodiac created?
The Japanese Zodiac has its origins in Ancient China, an agricultural country at that time. Chinese farmers needed a system to better plan and work with the change of seasons and weather during a year, so a time measuring system with twelve periods was created.
But why twelve? The created system was based on Jupiter, an important planet for ancient Chinese people. This planet made a twelve years rotation around Earth, so that's why twelve periods were created.
And what about the animals in the zodiac? Well, each period was given a name of an animal, so it was easier for people to remember.
Like many Chinese customs and traditions, including writing, the Chinese zodiac was adopted by the Japanese. How it came to Japan remains a mystery to this day, but it might have been introduced during the Nara Period (710-784 A.D.).
🎃 Gion Matsuri Guide +15 Useful Japanese Words
A little story about the Japanese zodiac.
There is a traditional story about the creation of the Japanese zodiac and why there is a rat or a dog in the calendar and not a cat.
One version tells that the gods informed the animals that the first twelve that reached the gods' home in the first day of the New Year will be chosen for the calendar. Animals were very excited and eager to be in that place.
One of the animals, the rat, lied to the cat and told it the wrong date. Then, using its sneaking skills, the rat hid on the cow's back. When it reached the gods' home, the rat jumped off the cow and it became the first one to arrive, so the rat became the first sign of the zodiac.
Meanwhile, the cat found out it was betrayed by the rat. It got mad and promised to chase rats forever.
What are the Twelve Signs of the Japanese zodiac?
Each Japanese zodiac sign has a meaning associated to the animal's personality (and the person's), and two names, one written in Kanji and the other in Katakana.
1.Rat (子, ne)
This animal is considered smart, hard-working and ambitious.
The rat is also called ネズミ nezumi in Japanese.
2.Cow (丑, ushi)
Patient, trustworthy and strong.
The cow is also written ウシ ushi in Japanese.
3.Tiger (寅, tora)
The tiger has a strong meaning in Japan and China as a brave and trustful animal. However, it's impulsive and rebel.
Tiger is also written トラ tora.
4.Rabbit (卯, u)
It's a funny, kind, sensible and shy animal.
The Zodiac rabbit is also called ウサギ usagi in Japanese.
5.Dragon (辰, tatsu)
Like the tiger, the dragon has a very strong meaning as well. Whereas the tiger is impulsive and rebel, the dragon is the opposite. It simbolizes calm and wisdom.
This animal's name is also written タツ tatsu.
6.Snake (巳, mi)
This animal is wise, charmful and intuitive.
It's also known as ヘビ hebi.
7.Horse (午, uma)
It's a vigorous, sociable and independent animal.
Its name is also written ウマ uma.
8.Sheep (未, hitsuji)
The sheep is creative, generous and kind.
Its name is also written ヒツジ hitsuji.
9.Monkey (申, saru)
The monkey is curious, creative and likes to play.
Its name is also written サル saru.
10.Rooster (酉, tori)
A brave, honest and ambitious animal.
The rooster's name is also written トリ tori.
11.Dog (戌, inu)
Honest, reliable and kind.
The dog's alternative writing is イヌ inu.
12.Wild Boar (亥, i)
A little stubborn, but also honest, reliable and kind.
You can call this animal イノシシ inoshishi too.
How do you ask for the Japanese zodiac sign?
Say 何年生まれ？ nanidoshi umare? to ask for a person's Japanese zodiacal sign. Another alternative can be Person's name + の干支は何ですか？ ___no eto wa nan desu ka?. For example, ジョンさんの干支は何ですか？ Jon-san no eto wa nan desu ka?
The Twelve Signs of the traditional zodiac.
The traditional zodiac is not used as much as the Japanese zodiac. However, each sign has a translation to Japanese and their meanings are pretty interesting.
Like in the Japanese zodiac, each sign can be called in two ways. Strictly speaking, the name with 宮 kyū ("zodiacal sign") is used for the horoscope and the other with 座 za is used for the constellation (座 comes from 星座 seiza, "constellation"). But to tell you the truth, both are used interchangeably or at the same time. The ones with 座 are more common.
1.Aries (白羊宮 hakuyōkyū; 牡羊座, ohitsujiza)
白羊 hakuyō: "white ram".
牡羊 ohitsuji: "ram".
2.Taurus (金牛宮 kingyūkyū; 牡牛座 oujiza)
金牛 kingyū: "golden ox".
牡牛 oushi: "ox, bull".
3.Gemini (双児宮, sōjikyū; 双子座 futagoza)
双児 sōji: "twins", although not a common word.
双子 futago: "twins", most common word.
4.Cancer (巨蟹宮 kyokaikyū; 蟹座 kaniza)
巨蟹 kyokai: "giant crab".
蟹 kani: "crab".
5.Leo (獅子宮 shishikyū; 獅子座 shishiza)
獅子 shishi: "lion".
6.Virgo (処女宮 shojokyū; 乙女座 otomeza)
処女 shojo: "female virgin".
乙女 otome: "maid".
7.Libra (天秤宮 tenbinkyū; 天秤座 tenbinza)
天秤 tenbin: "balance scales".
8.Scorpio (天蠍宮 tenkatsukyū; 蠍座 sasoriza)
天蠍 tenkatsu: "heavenly scorpion".
蠍 sasori: "scorpion".
9.Sagittarius (人馬宮 jinbakyū; 射手座 iteza)
人馬 jinba: "centaur".
射手 ite: "archer".
10.Capricorn (磨羯宮 makatsukyū; 山羊座 yagiza)
磨羯 makatsu: Japanese name for a sea monster called Makara from Hindu mythology.
山羊 yagi: "goat".
11.Aquarius (宝瓶宮 hōheikyū; 水瓶座 mizugameza)
水瓶 mizugame: "water jug".
宝瓶 hōhei: vase. It also can be read as hōbyō or hōhin. Hōbyō is used to describe a vase used in an esoteric Buddhist baptism and hōhin for a Japanese handless tea pot.
12.Pisces (双魚宮 sōgyokyū; 魚座 uoza)
双魚 sōgyo: "twin fishes".
魚 uo: "fish" (commonly said sakana)
Final words.
As you see, the zodiac is an interesting topic in Japanese and a great addition for your Japanese vocabulary. Each sign has meanings behind them and for the zodiacal signs we use in this part of the world Japanese gave a different meaning, like we saw in Capricorn, for example. Of course, there are more information behind them, but I just wanted to show you how they're called in Japanese.
Now, you're ready to talk about zodiac and horoscope in Japanese. But did you know that in Lingopie we have a show about warriors with golden armors that represent a zodiacal sign and fight for Greek goddess Athena? It's called Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas! With Lingopie, you can learn more about zodiac and other words in Japanese with real and authentic TV. Sign up, begin your free trial and watch it now!
Related posts:
Sofia Garcette
Emilio Olivieri
Milena Andrade
Let's answer some questions.
1.Are Chinese and Japanese zodiacs the same?
For the most part, they're the almost the same, but in fact Chinese and Japanese zodiacs have their differences. One difference is the animals that represent the signs. In the Japanese zodiac, the 12th place is represented by the wild boar, while in the Chinese zodiac it's the pig. The 8th animal sign is taken by the sheep in the Japanese zodiac, but in the Chinese one is taken by the goat. Another big difference is the calendar they're based on. The Chinese zodiac is based on the lunar calendar and New Year is celebrated in late January, whereas the Japanese zodiac is based on the Gregorian solar calendar and New Year is celebrated in the same day as the Western world. However, lunar calendar was once used by Japanese many many years ago.
2.Are Zodiac signs in Kanji?
As we saw in this article, zodiac signs are written in Kanji, but in Hiragana and Katakana too. Japanese zodiac signs have alternative names that are written in Katakana to distinguish them from common animals. For instance, ネズミ nezumi is the name given for the zodiacal rat and ねずみ/鼠 nezumi for the common rat. However, the dragon is the only animal that has a different name. タツ/辰 tatsu is used to refer to the zodiacal dragon and 竜/龍 ryū is used for the mythological dragon.
3.How do I find my Japanese zodiac sign?
Chinese and Japanese zodiacal signs are determined by the year a person was born. Each year is assigned to a different animal and the people who are born that year will have that animal as their zodiacal sign. For example, I was born in 1988 and my zodiacal sign is Dragon. This year, 2024, is the year of the Dragon. 2000 and 2012 were years of the Dragon too. It's easy. Just look at the year you were born and then look at a zodiacal sign's assigned years.
4.What is the Japanese zodiac called?
The Japanese zodiac has at least two names in Japanese: 干支 eto and 十二支 jūnishi. They're both used for the Chinese zodiac as well. There are other names too, but they're used for "zodiac" in general, so they can be used for the zodiac we use in this part of the globe. Here's a list:
- 十二宮 jūnikyū
- 黄道帯 kōdōtai
- 獣帯 jūtai
5.Does Japan celebrate Japanese zodiac?
Yes. There are many celebrations in New Year featuring zodiacal animals. Let's see two examples. If you have a Japanese friend, he or she may send you a New Year postcard or 年賀状 nengajō with an image of the zodiacal animal featured that new year. Another celebration is 初詣 hatsumōde, the first shrine visit of the year. Shrines in Japan are open all night on New Year's eve and people go to visit and pray. That's when shrines are decorated with 絵馬 ema, a kind of wooden plaques that have the zodiacal animal of the new year on them.
