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 |