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Celebration of 97 years old birthday as “Kajimaya nu Yuue”

In Okinawa, people have a custom of celebrating their birth year based on Chinese Zodiac, which comes every 12 years. The celebration is called “Tushibi” (celebration of birth year) in Okinawan dialect.
People celebrate their first Tushibi when they reach 13 years old, then 25, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85 and 97 years of age are celebrated according to the traditional Japanese age reckoning.
The year of Tushibi once was considered as an unlucky year, people had a ritual called “Ugan” to ward off evil spirits and pray for sound health without any diseases.
It is now simplified and 13, 61 years old and the older ages are celebrated on a large scale.
After the Okinawa Reversion, celebration customs from mainland Japan were brought to Okinawa and now Champuru (mixed) Tushibi has been celebrated.
Some people celebrate Koki (celebration of 70 years of age) when they turn 73 years old, Sanjyu (80th birthday) at 85 years old, Beijyu (88th birthday) as “Tokachi,” and Hakujyu (99th birthday) at 97 years old as “Kajimaya.”