Page 379 - Japanese marks and seals on pottery, paper and other objects.

;

THE ZODIACAL CYCLE AND

YEAR PERIODS.

in Japan has been accomplished
of time
T he division earliest ages by two methods ; first, by
the
since
of sixty
years, and, secondly, by
the Zodiacal Cycle
the Year Periods, which have been fixed from time to time
under the authority of the Mikado.
The sixty characters of the Zodiacal Cycle are formed
by the combination in regular order of the Jikkwan, or
the elementary signs, with the Jiuni Siii, or twelve calendar
or horary signs.
The Jikkwan consists of the words Kinoye, Kinoto
;
Hinoye, Hinoto Tsuchinoye, Tsuchinoto ; Kanoye, Kanoto and
;
Mizunoye, Mizunoto. These ten characters are used in the
Chinese calendar and have been adopted in Japan they
;
are founded upon the words AT, //i, Tsuchi, Ka and Mizit,
which signify, respectively. Tree, Fire, Earth, Metal and
Water. They are each used in two forms, it being necessary
to have ten characters for the purpose of the calendar, and
the duplication of the signs is accomplished by the use of
the terminations no ye and no to, the former signifying.