Yakudoshi
Sep 25th 2009 10:39
I went to a shrines with a friend of mine last Saturday.It was tough.
By the time we arrived the shrine,We took the wrong train, missed our stop, and were out of breath from climbing the steep and narrow stone steps.
“What if... I fall off..the steps ? “I talked to my friend in the middle of the steps.
“ Well....I ..don’t have... the physical strength... to hold up you...so maybe... we would...tumble down...together..”
She replied from behind breathlessly.
It was a sunny day. We finally arrived at the shrine.
We joined our hands in prayer,sounded a bell and burned a stick of incense.
My friend bought a small charm to put in her purse.
There was a sitting area where we can drank “yuzuyu”( 柚子湯 hot water with Japanese citron flavor) for free. We had rice ball lunch I made there.It was fun but my legs ached following days……..
By the way,my friend is in “厄年”( "ｙakudoshi" means climacteric year) so she wanted to expel evil by visiting the shrine.
“ｙakudoshi” is considered the specific age of a person who experiences many bad lack in japan.
I think most of japanese take it so seriously but if they have time, they will visit shrines.
Looking back my yakudoshi,I didn’t care at all and didn’ visit a shrine too.There seemed not to be so many bad things in the year, or maybe I forgot them.
By the time we arrived the shrine,We took the wrong train, missed our stop, and were out of breath from climbing the steep and narrow stone steps.
“What if... I fall off..the steps ? “I talked to my friend in the middle of the steps.
“ Well....I ..don’t have... the physical strength... to hold up you...so maybe... we would...tumble down...together..”
She replied from behind breathlessly.
It was a sunny day. We finally arrived at the shrine.
We joined our hands in prayer,sounded a bell and burned a stick of incense.
My friend bought a small charm to put in her purse.
There was a sitting area where we can drank “yuzuyu”( 柚子湯 hot water with Japanese citron flavor) for free. We had rice ball lunch I made there.It was fun but my legs ached following days……..
By the way,my friend is in “厄年”( "ｙakudoshi" means climacteric year) so she wanted to expel evil by visiting the shrine.
“ｙakudoshi” is considered the specific age of a person who experiences many bad lack in japan.
I think most of japanese take it so seriously but if they have time, they will visit shrines.
Looking back my yakudoshi,I didn’t care at all and didn’ visit a shrine too.There seemed not to be so many bad things in the year, or maybe I forgot them.
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I've never heard of the yakudoshi... Is it the same age for everyone, or is there a way to find out your own yakudoshi? This was very interesting!
Thanks for correcting my journal and comments,Elizabeth san!
Your correction is very helpful to me.
Yes,"yakudoshi" is the same age for everyone.There are three times in a lifetime.But the age is different between men and women.
Women's yakudoshi are the ages 19, 33 and 37.
Men's yakudoshi are the ages 25, 42 and 61.
And yakudoshi is measured by adding one to the actual age. (”数え年” "kazoedoshi" in Japanese)
Thank you for correcting my journal, ichigo san!
I'm glad you came back.
As you see,I haven’t been writing journals recentry….and I forgot how to write in Englsih…(-_-;)
It’s hard to remember but so easy to forget.
I will continue to study English little by little.
Let’s work together.（＾＾）