Comments on: Yakudoshi: The year of calamity http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile / Koreaphile. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:16:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Doug M http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-5038 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:46:48 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-5038 Hi Peter and welcome to the JLR! In Chinese, “4″ is a homophone of death, as it is in Japanese because of the borrowed-Chinese on yomi and all that, while the kun yomi (よつ、よっ) would of course be different since it’s a native Japanese pronunciation, and the two are from completely different language families. :)

The Buddhist side of me is still quite skeptical of the whole thing, given that other cultures have other dates, and the premise behind it is a bit contrived. Afterall, why should one language’s linguistic peculiarities have such an affect on fate across the board? I guess that’s why I don’t buy into mantras either for their “mystical” purposes (why is Sanskrit anymore holy than anything else?). Then again I am not 42 yet. I guess I’ll have to wait and see. Although I have similar anecdotal evidence from my last yakudoshi as being an awful one, I have to remind myself it’s a subjective opinion.

But I am just thinking out loud. :D

]]> By: Peter Payne http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-5033 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:43:18 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-5033 Nice article. I believe it’s all Japanese though, since 42 is “shini” or “death” in Japanese and something totally different in Chinese.

I am 42 this year. Not only did about 10 excellent people die (mostly anime related), but my dear mother died, my Dad’s first wife (mother to my brothers and sisters) died, my Japanese wife’s uncle who fought in WWII died, plus a few more. This year needs to end immediately.

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-4615 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 05:25:50 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-4615 Hi Mary and welcome to the JLR! I am sorry to hear about the problems you had, and the timing certainly seems possible. I’m still skeptical because of the way the numbers are so contrived and based on certain linguistic coincidences, but I imagine from your perspective that wouldn’t have made life any easier at the time. :-p

Hope things are better now though, and thanks for visiting,
Doug

P.S. Sorry for the late reply.

]]> By: Mary http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-4611 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:37:41 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-4611 I am not superstitious, but I totally believe in the Yakudoshi. When I was 32, I went through major surgery and unemployment. I even went to a shrine to ward off the bad luck. So much for that! Finally, toward the end of 33, things were looking up, I had a good job, new relationship. Then, at 36, during my next yakudoshi year, both my good relationship and job abruptly ended. The bad luck started all over again. Only at 38, am I now starting to recover from what was two waves of really bad luck years with a brief 3 year period of respite in between. I guess men are lucky that their yakudoshi years are spread out!

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-4310 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:48:25 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-4310 Eek, sorry to hear that. :( I hope things turn out better.

]]> By: J http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-4307 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:46:06 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-4307 I am going through my 42…yes it is tough; I got divorced; lost all my savings; lost lot of money in stock market; depressed; the toughest year of my life. I am doing my level best to change this hard year but I have no control on my feelings and action. 3 more months it will be over. Look forward for that…

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-1610 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:19:38 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-1610 Yikes, that sucks. Sorry to hear about that. When you turn 60, either undergo the Yakubarai, or hide in a bunker of a year. :)

]]> By: Just Zazen http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/02/22/yakudoshi-the-year-of-calamity/#comment-1609 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:06:07 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3133#comment-1609 I guess that may explain why I had such a horrible year (I’m getting ready to turn 42) with the Drs. running me through every test in the book to try to figure out why I couldn’t keep anything down in my stomach, had a bleeding retina and on and on. Ultimately all my symptoms have gone away and they have no clue what happened! I don’t look forward to year 60!

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