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Doyo-ushi
It is custom to eat eels (unagi), which especially rich in vitamin E,
on the day of Doyo-ushi to stay healthy and to help tide oneself over the
heat wave.
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Doyo is the period of 18 or 19 days before the beginning of spring (立春/risshun/around
Feb.4), summer(立夏/rikka/around May 5),
autumn(立秋/risshuu/around August 7) and winter(立冬/rittou/around Nov.7).
So, "Doyo of winter" before the beginning of spring starts around
January 17, "Doyo of spring" April 17,
"Doyo of summer" July 20 and "Doyo of autumn" October
20.
Today, it commonly refers to the doyo of summer which comes before the
beginning of autumn and in the hottest period.
Ushi is a sign which refers the order of year, month, date and time,
as it is the 2nd of the twelve signs of the Chinese and Japanese zodiac
cycle.
Depend on the year, we have the 2nd "Day of ushi".
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From the old time, it has been said that eating something which started
its name "u"
like udon (noodle) or uri (melon) or umeboshi (pickled plum), etc.is good
for one's health.
And the custom to eat eels (unagi) on the day of doyo-ushi started in the
middle late Edo period.
One owner of an eel restaurant consulted Hiraga Gennai about the dull running
in summer.
He suggested him to put an advertisement at the door of the restaurant.
The catchphrase was "Today is the day of Doyo-ushi".
The word of Unagi (eel) is started from "u".
Since then, it became our habbit to eat eels on the day of Doyo-ushi.
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| Hiraga Gennai |
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| Flags | "う" eel letter |
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| Hitsumabushi of Atsuta Horaiken/ あつた蓬莱軒 |
| year | Doyo no iri First day of Doyo period |
Doyo-ushi | 2nd Doyo-ushi | Doyo-ake/ last day of Doyo period |
| 2015 | July 20 | July 24 | August 5 | August 7 |
| 2016 | July 19 | July 30 | - | August 6 |
| 2017 | July 19 | July 25 | August 6 | August 6 |
| 2018 | July 20 | July 20 | August 1 | August 6 |
| 2019 | July 20 | July 27 | - | August 7 |
| 2020 | July 19 | July 21 | August 2 | August 6 |
| 2021 | July 19 | July 28 | - | August 6 |
| 2022 | July 20 | July 23 | August 4 | August 6 |
| 2023 | July 20 | July 30 | - | August 7 |
| 2024 | July 19 | July 24 | August 5 | August 6 |
| 2025 | July 19 | July 19 | July 31 | August 6 |
| 2026 | July 20 | July 26 | - | August 6 |
| 2027 | July 20 | July 21 | August 2 | August 7 |
| 2028 | July 19 | July 27 | - | August 6 |
| 2029 | July 19 | July 22 | August 3 | August 6 |
| 2030 | July 20 | July 29 | - | August 6 |
| 2031 | July 20 | July 24 | August 5 | August 7 |
| 2032 | July 19 | July 30 | - | August 6 |
| 2033 | July 19 | July 25 | August 6 | August 6 |
| 2034 | July 19 | July 20 | August 1 | August 6 |
| 2035 | July 20 | July 27 | - | August 7 |
| 2036 | July 19 | July 21 | August 2 | August 6 |
| 2037 | July 19 | July 28 | - | August 6 |
| 2038 | July 19 | July 23 | August 4 | August 6 |
| 2039 | July 20 | July 30 | - | August 7 |
| 2040 | July 19 | July 24 | August 5 | August 6 |
| 2041 | July 19 | July 19 | July 31 | August 6 |
| 2042 | July 19 | July 26 | - | August 6 |
| 2043 | July 20 | July 21 | August 2 | August 6 |
| 2044 | July 19 | July 27 | - | August 6 |
| 2045 | July 19 | July 22 | August 3 | August 6 |
| 2046 | July 19 | July 29 | - | August 6 |
| 2047 | July 20 | July 24 | August 5 | August 6 |
| 2048 | July 19 | July 30 | - | August 6 |
| 2049 | July 19 | July 25 | August 6 | August 6 |
| 2050 | July 19 | July 20 | August 1 | August 6 |
