Seventieth birthday (Koki)

Japanese: 古稀(古希) - こき

Refers to turning 70, or the celebration of that age. It is one of the annual celebrations known to the general public, and is also a type of longevity celebration called san'ga, gaju, or 'ga no iwai'. In ancient times, upper class society celebrated every decade after turning 40, but this later changed to kanreki at 61, beiju at 88, etc., while only koki at 70 remains. This is probably because the explanation that 'it is rare to reach seventy in life' leaves a strong impression. This phrase is a line from a poem by Du Fu. Celebrations include banquets and the exchange of gifts. [Hirayama Kazuhiko]

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

70歳，またはその祝いのこと。民間でいう年祝の一つであり，長寿祝の算賀，賀寿，〈賀の祝い〉の一種でもある。古代の上流社会では40歳以上を10歳ごとに祝ったが，後に61歳の還暦，88歳の米寿などに変遷したのに対し，70歳の古稀のみ存続した。〈人生七十古来稀〉という説明が，強い印象を与えるからであろう。この句は，杜甫（とほ）の詩の一節である。祝いには，祝宴や贈答がなされる。【平山和彦】

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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