The 12 zodiac signs or juunishi (十二支) are an important element of Japanese culture, especially when a new year rolls in. It is part of the astrological system called eto (干支).
The Japanese zodiac uses special kanji characters that are different from the usual characters for each animal.
The Japanese zodiac is separated into 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and wild boar) and 5 elements (earth, wood, fire, metal, and water).
Each year corresponds to a certain animal, and a full cycle is repeated after 12 years.
The kanreki (還暦) or 60th birthday is an important point in a person’s life, because that is when 5 cycles of the juunishi is completed. At 60 years, a person is ‘reborn’ as they go back to the very start of another cycle.
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Are the Japanese and Chinese zodiac the same?
Both zodiacs share the same traits, since the Chinese zodiac was introduced to Japan around the 4th to 5th century. There are many myths about the order of animals belonging to the zodiac, but the most popular one that applies to most Asian zodiacs is the myth of the Jade Emperor.
There is one difference between the Japanese and Chinese zodiacs, though: instead of a pig, the Japanese zodiac has a wild boar.