Japanese longevity celebrations
Koki 古希
Japan’s celebration of turning 70
Koki (written 古希, read こき) is one of Japan’s traditional longevity milestones — a set of birthdays, starting at 60, that families mark with a gathering and gifts. Each has a name drawn from a kanji character or a classical reference, and each has a customary color.
Why 70?
From Du Fu’s line: “a life of seventy years has been rare since old.”
The color: Purple
Gifts and decorations for the day are commonly chosen in this color. Which color goes with which age varies somewhat by region and source; the one shown here is the most widely cited.
Who reaches Koki in 2026?
By Western age counting, anyone born in 1956 turns 70 this year. Japan traditionally used kazoe-doshi — you are 1 at birth and gain a year every New Year’s Day — so some families celebrate a year earlier, in the year the person turns 69 by Western count (born 1957).
Someone born in 1956 reaches Koki in 2026 reached (2025 by kazoe count)
All seven milestones
Ages are given by Western (full-year) count unless noted. Only the widely documented, standard explanations are shown — no invented meanings. About our data