The twelve signs of the Japanese zodiac

Japanese astrology, also known as Ki of the 9 stars or kyuuseiki , derives from a Chinese system that incorporated some planets and materials.

In 1924, Shinjiro Sonoda, a Japanese specialist in astrology, took up some ancient concepts to which he added his own studies and called them Ki of the 9 stars .

elements of the japanese horoscope

Basically, according to Japanese astrology, each person is born under certain conditions:

• A number: which can be from 1 to 9;
• One of the 5 elements: tree, fire, water, earth or metal;
• One color: white, black, turquoise, green, purple, yellow or red.
• An animal of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac: the rat, the ox, the tiger , the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the boar.

This Japanese system, unlike the Chinese, among the 12 animals, has a pig instead of a boar.

Japanese astrology relates the above elements as follows:

Each of these elements depends on the year of birth and will give the person specific characteristics. For example, a person who was born in the year 2000 will be: 9, fire, purple and dragon.

Origin of the Japanese zodiac

The origin of the Japanese zodiac is quite related to mythology, and therefore, there are several legends about it.

One of them suggests that the Chinese zodiac arrived in Japan approximately 1,300 years ago. At that time, the Jade Emperor, who was the god of the heavens, reigned.

One day, the emperor called all the animals in the world to participate in a race that consisted of crossing a fast-flowing river. The top 12 winners would get a place in the zodiac and could influence people based on their own qualities.

The rat and the cat crossed the river on the back of the ox. Before arriving, the rat pushed the cat into the water and arrived first, and from then on they became enemies.

The ox came second. Then came the tiger, who managed to cross the river with strong strokes. In fourth place came the rabbit, which he was able to cross with the help of a piece of log that was floating on the water.

Fifth place went to the dragon, who was late in arriving because he had to make it rain to help people who were suffering from a drought. He also helped the rabbit, blowing to move the log.

After the dragon, the horse was about to arrive, but the snake scared him and she took sixth place. The horse was then in seventh place.

The sheep, the monkey, and the rooster helped each other and managed to take eighth, ninth, and tenth place, respectively. The dog took eleventh place and the boar came last, taking twelfth place in the zodiac.

In this way, the 12 animals began to rule one at a time each year, influencing people’s lives.

the japanese zodiac

The Japanese zodiac, commonly called eto (干支) or junishi (十二支) is divided into 12 blocks. Each of them contains a group of years. The years of each block have a difference of 12 years with respect to the previous or following year. Likewise, each block bears the name of an animal.

In addition, this zodiac has other functions. It is used to count the hours, as a method of orientation, or to predict the future. To facilitate your understanding, the name of each sign has the characters of their respective animals.

The twelve signs of the Japanese zodiac

Meaning of the Japanese zodiac signs

Each of these signs have special meanings and describe the personalities and characteristics of people born in the years that each animal rules.

The rat

People born in the year of the Rat are characterized as charming, honest, and ambitious. They are also intelligent, tenacious, meticulous, practical, and persevering. They work hard to meet their goals. They tend to get angry easily, but they don’t always show it.

the ox

People of the Ox sign are patient, attentive and have good communication skills. Generally, they tend to inspire confidence in others. They can also be jealous, stubborn, and mean-spirited.

The Tiger

People of the sign of the Tiger are sensitive, courageous, thoughtful and empathic with loved ones. They can also be selfish, stubborn, and impulsive.

Rabbit

People who were born in the year of the Rabbit are considered to be the luckiest. They are good conversationalists, talented, sensitive, ambitious, and reserved. They are characterized by their refined taste and often inspire admiration and trust.

The Dragon

People belonging to this sign are noble, ambitious, energetic, sensitive, honest and enthusiastic. They can also be stubborn, arrogant, unforgiving, and short-tempered.

The snake

The sign of the Snake is characterized by including thoughtful, reserved, determined and wise people. They are lucky in matters related to money. They can also be indifferent and overly serious.

Horse

People who were born in the year of the Horse are good at giving compliments and also with money and finances. They tend to be cheerful, wise, talented, intelligent and impatient. They think quickly and are also easily angered.

Sheep

People of the Sheep sign are creative, generous, empathetic, passionate and love nature. They also have a deep interest in art. They can be irresponsible and lazy.

Monkey

People who were born in the year of the Monkey are witty, original, intelligent and skillful in managing money. They can also be conceited, stubborn, and manipulative.

The rooster

People born in the year of the Rooster are brave, resourceful, loyal and hardworking. They are also often pretentious and tend not to keep their promises.

The dog

People of the sign of the Dog are characterized by having some of the best qualities. They are honest, loyal and responsible. They inspire confidence in others and know how to keep secrets. However, they can also be aggressive.

The boar

People who were born in the year of the Boar are brave, honest, caring, kind, sociable and have great inner strength. They are stubborn and short-tempered but avoid conflict.

Other Japanese horoscopes

In addition to the zodiac and the Japanese horoscope of Chinese origin, Japanese astrology includes other systems that are quite popular. One of them is based on the person’s blood type and the other on numerology.

blood type

The Japanese believe that blood type influences personality, behavior, and relationships with others. This belief arose from the theory of the Japanese professor Takeji Furukawa that was published in 1930.

This theory is known as ketsueki-gata and is very popular in Japan. It is included in newspaper horoscopes and on TV shows. It is also used to choose a partner. Supposedly, the best matches are those of people who have the same blood type. People with type AB blood can mate with people of any blood type.

Almost half of the Japanese population have type A blood. According to this horoscope, they are peaceful, kind, responsible and patient people. They do not like crowds and are often stubborn. They are also easily stressed.

Type B people are focused on achieving their own goals. They are rational and can appear cold and indifferent.

People with type 0 blood are optimistic, energetic, open, tardy, and have leadership skills. People with type AB blood combine the characteristics of people with type A and B blood.

numerology

It is believed that the Hideyoshi horoscope arose more than 1,500 years ago. It consists of assigning a specific number to each planet or star.

Then, all the digits of the date of birth are added and continue adding until a single digit is obtained. The value of that digit will indicate which is the ruling star and from it, the characteristics of the personality will be determined.

Fun facts

The zodiac has great importance and symbolism in Japanese culture for centuries. Because of this, it was always an object that aroused inspiration and interest. Some curious facts about the Japanese zodiac and the twelve signs are:

• The zodiac appears frequently in manga, anime, series, books, and movies. For example, in the Fruits Basket manga , by Takaya Natsuki; in the novel Jūni Taisen , Nishio Ishin; and in the famous manga Naruto.
• At Tokyo Station, there are eight of the twelve signs of the Chinese horoscope: the tiger, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the dog and the boar. They appear as part of the decoration of the octagonal domes at the north entrance of the Marunouchi building.
• In Japan there is a whole commercial industry that manufactures all kinds of products with designs of the zodiac signs: ceramic objects, t-shirts, calendars, postcards, and others.
• New Year’s postcards, which are called nengajo in Japanese, are a very popular tradition. They are sent to congratulate loved ones, friends and acquaintances in the first days of January.
• The New Year’s hatsumode tradition consists of going to a Buddhist temple for good luck in the next twelve months. This ritual is also performed at Shinto shrines.
• The animals of the zodiac also appear in the decoration of the packaging of the chopsticks used in New Year’s meals.
• Traditional bells in the shape of the twelve animals of the zodiac are also made. They are made of ceramic and function as amulets. In some places they are considered as toys or to attract luck.
• Another interesting fact from Japanese astrology is that in addition to the horoscope and personality characteristics, it can indicate eating methods for each sign, which days are more favorable for traveling, which diseases can be contracted, and other topics of daily life.

Bibliography

• Castaño, I. Learn about the Japanese Horoscope, an astrological system. Top Mythologies. Available at: https://topmitologias.com/c-japonesa/horoscopo-japones/
• Ozaki, YT Fables and Legends of Japan . (2016). Spain. Quaterni.
• Aicega, M. History of Japan: from prehistory to the present. (2019). Spain. Marina Icega.