Types of lucky days and what they mean
“Today is Ichiryū-manbai-bi!” “The ultimate lucky day, when Tenshabi and a Tiger day coincide!” Phrases like these are everywhere in Japan. They are almanac notes (rekichū), set by the eto of the day, the season (solar month) and the date in the old lunar calendar. Here is what the most popular lucky days mean and how they are worked out.
On this page
1.The main lucky days
| Lucky day | Meaning | How it is set | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenshabi (天赦日) | Heaven forgives every wrong: the luckiest day of all | A fixed day eto for each season | 5–7 times a year |
| Ichiryū-manbai-bi (一粒万倍日) | One grain becomes ten thousand: what you start grows big | Fixed branches for each solar month | Usually 4–6 a month (7–8 in some months) |
| Tiger day (寅の日) | “The tiger goes a thousand ri and comes back”: good for travel and money | The day’s branch is the Tiger | Every 12 days |
| Snake day (巳の日) | The day of the snake, messenger of Benzaiten: good for money and the arts | The day’s branch is the Snake | Every 12 days |
| Tsuchinoto-mi (己巳の日) | The Snake day when Benzaiten’s power is strongest | The day eto is 己巳 | Every 60 days |
| Kinoe-ne (甲子の日) | The first of the sixty, good for beginnings; feast of Daikokuten | The day eto is 甲子 | Every 60 days |
| Taian (大安) | The rokuyō day that is good for everything | Lunar month and day | About every 6 days |
| Dog day (戌の日) | After the easy births of dogs: prayers for a safe birth | The day’s branch is the Dog | Every 12 days |
2.How Tenshabi is set
There is just one Tenshabi eto for each season.
| Season (solar months) | Tenshabi falls on |
|---|---|
| Spring (Risshun to the day before Rikka) | 戊寅 (Tsuchinoe-tora) |
| Summer (Rikka to the day before Risshū) | 甲午 (Kinoe-uma) |
| Autumn (Risshū to the day before Rittō) | 戊申 (Tsuchinoe-saru) |
| Winter (Rittō to the day before Risshun) | 甲子 (Kinoe-ne) |
Because the day eto take 60 days to come round, each season has only one or two. See the dates in the 2026 and 2027 Tenshabi lists.
3.How Ichiryū-manbai-bi is set
For each solar month (a month that starts at one of the setsu solar terms), two branches are Ichiryū-manbai-bi.
| Solar month (from) | Ichiryū-manbai-bi falls on |
|---|---|
| Tiger month (from Risshun) | Ox days and Horse days |
| Rabbit month (from Keichitsu) | Tiger days and Rooster days |
| Dragon month (from Seimei) | Rat days and Rabbit days |
| Snake month (from Rikka) | Rabbit days and Dragon days |
| Horse month (from Bōshu) | Snake days and Horse days |
| Goat month (from Shōsho) | Horse days and Rooster days |
| Monkey month (from Risshū) | Rat days and Goat days |
| Rooster month (from Hakuro) | Rabbit days and Monkey days |
| Dog month (from Kanro) | Horse days and Rooster days |
| Pig month (from Rittō) | Rooster days and Dog days |
| Rat month (from Taisetsu) | Rat days and Pig days |
| Ox month (from Shōkan) | Rat days and Rabbit days |
It is a good day to start things, but because “what you borrow multiplies too”, people say it is best not to take out loans or borrow things on it.
4.When lucky days overlap
When several lucky days fall on the same day, it is considered all the luckier. Days when Tenshabi, Ichiryū-manbai-bi, a Tiger day, Tsuchinoto-mi or Taian coincide are lately called “the ultimate lucky days” and chosen for a new wallet, opening a business or registering a marriage. The lucky day calendars list them all.
5.Unlucky days to watch
| Unlucky day | Meaning | How it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Fujōju-bi (不成就日) | Nothing comes to fruition; said to cancel out any lucky day it falls on | Fixed days of each lunar month (every 8 days) |
| Jushi-bi (受死日) | The “black day”, the heaviest unlucky day; avoid everything but funerals | A fixed branch for each solar month |
| Sanrinbō (三隣亡) | Unlucky for building: avoid groundbreaking and roof-raising | A fixed branch for each solar month |
| Butsumetsu (仏滅) | The rokuyō day for holding back (what is rokuyō?) | Lunar month and day |
Lucky and unlucky days alike are guides that people of the past wrote into the calendar. Use them as a nudge to pick a date, or a bit of encouragement to feel good about it.
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