Friendly to Senior
Cultural · Religion
今年は厄年なんです。お祓いに行った方がいいでしょうか？ — This year is my yakudoshi (unlucky year). Should I go for a purification ritual? (Cultural · Religion, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N3)
You
今年は厄年なんです。お祓いに行った方がいいでしょうか？
ことしはやくどしなんです。おはらいにいったほうがいいでしょうか？
This year is my yakudoshi (unlucky year). Should I go for a purification ritual?
Romaji: Kotoshi wa yakudoshi nan desu. Oharai ni itta hou ga ii deshou ka? / Reply Romaji: A, sou nano ne. Atoyaku mo isshou ni mawatte itta hou ga ii desu yo.
Reply
あ、そうなのね。前厄も一緒に回っていった方がいいですよ。
あ、そうなのね。まえやくもいっしょにまわっていったほうがいいですよ。
Oh, really. You should also visit during the maeyaku year (the year before).
Gesture & etiquette
Casual conversational tone. The senior will likely have specific advice — listen attentively. If they recommend a specific shrine, ask follow-up questions ('which neighborhood?' 'when did you go?'). Cultural transmission across generations is part of the relationship.
Yakudoshi are years of supposed bad luck — primarily for men at ages 25, 42, 61, and women at 19, 33, 37 (counted in the traditional kazoedoshi system). The year before (maeyaku), the year itself (honyaku), and the year after (atoyaku) are all considered transitional. Many Japanese visit shrines for harai (purification) — Setsubun timing in February is traditional. Senior relatives often have strong opinions and good shrine recommendations.