YAKUDOSHI

Inauspicious year. A relic of complexonmyo-docalculations which took into account place, time and year of the subject's birth as well as the changing directions of dangerous deities such askonjin. Yakudoshi are normally considered nowadays to be the age of 33 for a woman and 42 for a man. At these ages people often like to be involved in Shinto or Buddhist ceremonies and at least purchase special protective amulets (o-mamori) in order to offset their bad luck.