Born in 2026 (Reiwa 8): eto and age

1.The eto of 2026, and the Risshun rule

The eto of 2026 is 丙午 (Hinoe-uma, the Yang Fire Horse). In Four Pillars, Nine Star Ki and other Eastern astrology, though, the year begins at Risshun (Feb 4 in 2026). People born between 1 January 2026 and the moment of Risshun (Feb 4, 5:02) are treated as the previous year's 乙巳 Kinoto-mi and Jikoku Dosei.

2.Personality of people born in 2026

丙午 combines 丙, the stem of the sun, with 午, the horse. Like a horse running across the plains, the Horse is cheerful, active and in love with freedom.

Bright and cheerful, you have no hidden side. Passionate and quick to act, you naturally lift everyone's spirits.

Read more: meaning of 丙午, Year of the Horse and Ippaku Suisei.

3.School years in Japan for people born in 2026

Japanese school years run from 2 April to 1 April the next year, so people born between 1 January and 1 April (hayaumare) are in the grade above.

4.Shichi-go-san for children born in 2026

Families visit a shrine around 15 November, counting either way. See Shichi-go-san ages and dates, and Omiyamairi and Okuizome for the ceremonies right after birth.

5.Longevity celebrations

Kanreki is celebrated at 60 (61 in traditional counting). From Koki on, the celebrations were originally counted in traditional age, which would make each one a year earlier than shown.

6.Yakudoshi (unlucky years) for people born in 2026

Yakudoshi are counted in traditional age (kazoedoshi = the calendar year − birth year + 1; everyone gains a year on 1 January, regardless of birthday).

7.Fortune for the Horse in 2026 and 2027

2026: overall ★★★★☆ A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit

2027: overall ★★★★☆ A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit

Read the full fortune for the Horse →

8.The calendar of 2026

In 2026, Ippaku Suisei sat in the center of the Nine Star Ki year chart, and the lucky direction (where the year god Toshitokujin resides) was south-southeast. Years with the same eto are 1966 and 2086; years with the same eto and the same star come every 180 years (1846, 2206). Since the Edo period a superstition has claimed that women born in a Hinoe-uma year are fiery-tempered. In 1966, the last Hinoe-uma year, births in Japan fell by about 25% from the year before. 2026 is the first Hinoe-uma year in 60 years, and the next is 2086.