Zodiac signs in Japan

A few weeks ago I posted a podcast video on my Youtube Channel where I talked about the Chinese zodiac signs in Japan. So I thought to share it with you on this newsletter, too, in case you’ve missed this episode!

So here you go!

In Japan, zodiac signs are part of both old traditions and daily life. People often talk about the animal of their birth year or their Western star sign. Both are popular, but they’re used in different ways.
Let’s see how they work and why they matter.

The zodiac by birth year

Japan’s traditional zodiac is called 干支 (eto) or 十二支 (jūnishi). It came from China over a thousand years ago. The system repeats every 12 years, with each year linked to one animal. People born in that year are said to share that animal’s personality.
You often see zodiac animals at New Year, especially on decorations and greeting cards called nengajō (年賀状).

The 12 zodiac animals

Here are the animals in order:

• 子 nezumi (rat)
• 丑 ushi (ox)
• 寅 tora (tiger)
• 卯 usagi (rabbit)
• 辰 tatsu (dragon)
• 巳 mi (snake)
• 午 uma (horse)
• 未 hitsuji (sheep)
• 申 saru (monkey)
• 酉 tori (rooster)
• 戌 inu (dog)
• 亥 inoshishi (boar)

Each animal comes back every 12 years. Many people like to check what their sign says about luck or personality. 

Did you notice that the animals use different kanji from the ordinary kanji for animals because they originally represent the Earthly Branches, not the animals themselves.

The twelve zodiac signs existed before animals were associated with them. These characters were used in ancient China to count years, months, directions, and time. Later, animals were assigned to each sign as mnemonic symbols to make them easier for ordinary people to remember.

Since the zodiac characters were not created to mean animals, their kanji are different from the standard animal kanji like 鼠 (mouse), 牛 (cow), or 虎 (tiger). Instead, each zodiac sign has its own traditional character, and the animal connection is symbolic rather than literal.

That is why the kanji used for zodiac animals are different from the everyday kanji used to write animal names.

Western zodiac signs

Japan also uses Western zodiac signs, called 星座 (seiza). These are based on your birth date, not your year. They include names like 牡羊座 (ohitsuji-za, Aries) and 獅子座 (shishi-za, Leo).
You can find star sign horoscopes in magazines, on TV, and in apps. They’re especially popular among young people.

How people talk about zodiac signs

People often ask questions like “干支は何ですか？” (Eto ha nan desu ka?) which means “What’s your zodiac animal?” or “何座ですか？” (Naniza desuka?) meaning “What’s your star sign?”
It’s a fun way to talk about personality, luck, or relationships. Most people treat it casually, not seriously.

Zodiac in culture

Zodiac animals appear a lot during New Year. You can see them on charms, art, and festival decorations for good luck.
Western zodiac signs often show up in fashion, mobile apps, and media about relationships.

Your Sensei,
Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫