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Respect-for-Senior-Citizens Day

Up until 2002, 15 September was the annual Respect-for-Senior-Citizens Day in Japan. The law changed and since 2003 it is observed on the 3rd Monday of September every year, which is the 17th this year.

 

The Japanese name for that is 敬老の日(けいろうのひ/keirou_no_hi). The Japanese society is turning grey very rapidly, so we are not too sure from what age people are considered old but traditionally the following birthdays have a special name for it and families usually have a bigger celebration in Japan. Many of these special birthdays have an associated colour and people consider the colour when they pick a gift for the celebration.

 

age

kanji

sound

associated colour

60th

還暦

かんれき/kanreki

red

70th

古稀

こき/koki

purple

77th

喜寿

きじゅ/kiju

purple

80th

傘寿

さんじゅ/sanju

yellow (golden brown)

88th

米寿

べいじゅ/beiju

yellow (golden brown)

90th

卒寿

そつじゅ/sotsuju

white

99th

白寿

はくじゅ/hakuju

white

100th

紀寿 or 百寿

きじゅ/kiju or ひゃくじゅ/hyakuju

white

108th

茶寿

ちゃじゅ/chaju

not set

111th

皇寿

こうじゅ/kouju

not set

120th

大還暦

だいかんれき/daikanreki

not set

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