In Japan, the start of a new year is always an exciting time, filled with traditions that connect us to our history and culture. One of my favourite things is the Junishi (十二支), or the Japanese Zodiac animals. Have you ever heard of that before? Each year is represented by one of twelve animals, and you’ll see their symbols everywhere – from cheerful new year greeting postcards to the decorations at shrines and temples. Each animal has cultural and symbolic significance, often tied to traditional beliefs about luck and personality. 2025 is the year of the snake, so if you were born in 1929, 1941, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 or 2025 then your birth year animal is snake!
The Japanese Zodiac animals is a system deeply rooted in Chinese culture and when Japan adopted many elements of Chinese culture such as writing systems, Buddhism, calendar systems etc, the Chinese zodiac system was one of them. The zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year associated with a specific animal. These animals are Rat (mouse in Japan), Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig (boar).
(Japanese Zodiac animals)
The Story Behind It
The most common tale explaining the origins of the zodiac involves a celestial race organised by the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven in Chinese mythology. Here's how the story typically goes:
The Jade Emperor's Race: The Jade Emperor invited all the animals to a race, announcing that the first twelve to cross the finish line would have a year named after them in the zodiac cycle.
The Clever Rat: The Rat, being small, was not the fastest but very clever. It rode on the back of the Ox and jumped off just before the finish line to take first place, followed by the Ox.
(Small Year of the Mouse Birthday Kokeshi Doll)
The other animals arrived in this order:
The Tiger came third, followed by the Rabbit, who used its agility to cross a river on floating logs.
The Dragon, despite being fast, came fifth because it stopped to help villagers bring rain to their fields.
The Snake sneaked across by hiding on the Horse's hoof and slithered ahead at the last moment to take sixth place, pushing the Horse to seventh.
The Goat, Monkey, and Rooster worked together to cross the river, taking eighth, ninth, and tenth places.
The Dog, distracted by the water, came eleventh.
Finally, the Pig, who took a nap during the race, arrived last.
The Cycle: The Jade Emperor honoured each animal by assigning them a year in the cycle.
Cultural Significance
Each zodiac sign is believed to influence the personality traits of people born in that year. For example:
Rats are said to be clever and resourceful.
Tigers are brave and competitive.
Dragons symbolize strength and ambition.
The zodiac is also used in traditional fortune-telling, matchmaking, and determining auspicious dates for events like weddings and business ventures.
Do you want to find out what is your birth year animal and the personality traits? You can learn more about the different personality traits here!
The Missing Cat
In Japanese folklore, there’s a popular tale about why the cat is not included in the 12 zodiac animals.
According to the story, when the Jade Emperor announced the great race to decide the zodiac animals, he invited all creatures to participate. The Rat, clever but mischievous, tricked the Cat by telling it the wrong date for the race. The Cat, trusting its friend, showed up a day late—only to find that the 12 spots were already taken.
Ever since, the Cat has held a grudge against the Rat, which is why cats are said to chase rats and mice to this day. This story not only explains the absence of the Cat in the zodiac but also gives a playful nod to the eternal rivalry between cats and rats.
Hope you enjoyed the blog and learnt something new about the Japanese culture!
At The Japanese Shop, we offer Kokeshi Dolls representing all 12 animals of the zodiac. Why not take a look and find your birth year one here?
You will also be able to pick up and look at them at the pop-up shop that is coming to Harlow Carr for the 7th year in March and April! We will have all of our authentic Japanese products including those lovely year of animals Kokeshi Dolls.