Family milestones calendar
Enter your family's dates of birth and see the milestones ahead, year by year. Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server.
What the calendar shows
Life in Japan comes with a calendar of family occasions that are not on most calendars: when a child starts school, the Shichi-Go-San shrine visit, the coming-of-age ceremony, unlucky years and longevity celebrations. This page takes the birth dates of your family and lists these dates year by year.
| Milestone | How the date is set |
|---|---|
| School start and graduation | Children born from April 2 to April 1 of the next year share a school grade. The list uses April 1 and March 31, for the standard path from kindergarten to a 4-year university |
| Shichi-Go-San | Age 3 (boys and girls), 5 (boys) and 7 (girls), by full age, on November 15 |
| Coming of age | Coming of Age Day, the second Monday of January, in the school year when the person turns 20 |
| Unlucky years (yakudoshi) | Traditional age, from the Association of Shinto Shrines table. The year before, the main year and the year after |
| Longevity celebrations | Kanreki at 60, then koki, kiju, sanju, beiju, sotsuju, hakuju and so on, on the birthday in that year |
| Wedding anniversaries | The years that have a traditional name (1 to 15, then every 5 years) |
| Baby celebrations | Birth registration deadline, naming ceremony, first shrine visit, first meal ceremony, first festival and first birthday |
How to use it
Enter a name (a nickname is fine), a date of birth and, if you want, a sex and a wedding date. The sex is used for unlucky years, which differ for men and women, for Shichi-Go-San at ages 5 and 7, and for the first shrine visit and the first festival. If you leave it blank, the other milestones still appear.
Pick how many years to show. The list starts this year and groups the milestones by year. "About" next to a date means the day depends on the school, the family or the city. "This year" means no day is fixed, as with unlucky years. Notes under the list explain each kind.
The Print button prints the list without the form. In your browser's print window you can choose "Save as PDF".
Your data stays on your device
The dates are worked out by a program running in your own browser. The names and birth dates are not sent to the site's server. If you tick "Keep my entries on this device", they are saved in this browser only, and they come back the next time you open the page. Untick the box to delete them. On a shared computer, leave the box unticked.
How each date is worked out
School. The Japanese school year starts in April. A child starts elementary school at the beginning of the first school year after turning six, which is the School Education Act rule explained in how ages are counted in Japan. Junior high school starts at 12, high school at 15 and university at 18 if the child goes straight on. The ceremony dates are set by each school.
Shichi-Go-San. According to the Tokyo Shrine Association, age 3 is for boys and girls, age 5 for boys and age 7 for girls. The festival was traditionally celebrated by traditional age, and many families now use full age. The list uses full age. Families visit on or around November 15, on whichever day suits them.
Coming of age. People born between April 2 and the following April 1 are invited together. Each municipality decides the date and who is invited. Many hold the ceremony around Coming of Age Day, the second Monday of January, which is explained in Japan's public holidays explained.
Unlucky years. The list uses the traditional-age table of the Association of Shinto Shrines: 25, 42 and 61 for men, and 19, 33 and 37 for women. The year before and the year after each of these are also treated with care. Shrines and temples differ on the details, so check the one you plan to visit.
Longevity celebrations. Kanreki (60th birthday) is the first, followed by koki at 70, kiju at 77, sanju at 80, beiju at 88, sotsuju at 90 and hakuju at 99. The list uses full age and the birthday in that year.
Wedding anniversaries and baby celebrations. The names of the wedding anniversaries are traditional and not official. A birth must be registered within 14 days, counting the day of birth, under the Family Register Act. The other baby celebrations are guides: day 7 for the naming ceremony, about day 31 to 33 for the first shrine visit and about day 100 for the first meal ceremony.
Use the dates as a guide
Some dates are fixed by law, such as the birth registration deadline and Coming of Age Day. Others come from custom, such as Shichi-Go-San, unlucky years and longevity celebrations, and the custom varies by shrine, region and family. Use this list for planning, and confirm the real dates with the school, the city office or the shrine.
Frequently asked questions
Are the birth dates I enter sent anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your own browser. Your entries are saved on your device only if you tick "Keep my entries on this device".
What happens if I do not enter a sex?
Unlucky years are not shown, because the ages differ for men and women. Shichi-Go-San shows ages 3, 5 and 7, the first shrine visit is placed around day 32, and the first festival is not shown. Every other milestone appears as usual.
How many people and years can I list?
This page lists up to 3 people and up to 5 years from this year.
Why is Shichi-Go-San on November 15?
The Association of Shinto Shrines says the festival has been celebrated on November 15 since the Edo period. Today families often visit on a convenient day around that date.
Sources
- School Education Act, Article 17: when children start school (in Japanese)
- Tokyo Shrine Association: at what age are boys and girls celebrated at Shichi-Go-San (in Japanese)
- Association of Shinto Shrines: Shichi-Go-San (in Japanese)
- Association of Shinto Shrines: purification for unlucky years (in Japanese)
- Cabinet Office: national holidays, including Coming of Age Day (in Japanese)
- Family Register Act, Articles 43 and 49: birth registration (in Japanese)
- Dates for customs are guides. They vary by school, city, shrine, region and family.
Related pages
Last updated: 2026-10-04