What is the Japanese zodiac animal for 2025?

What is the Japanese zodiac animal for 2025?  The Japanese zodiac was introduced from the ancient China. Today, the Japanese zodiac is a single Kanji character based on a 12-year cycle, but it was originally the combination of two Kanji characters indicating each year with a 60-year cycle that combined the cycle of the 12 animals (the 12 zodiac signs) and a set of 10 elements.

Aside from difficult stories, each year has a symbolic animal. In order, the 12 animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster/Chicken, Dog, Boar. We call these animals using a single Kanji character. 

2025 is the Year of the Snake. Actually, I was born in the Year of the Snake. So, this year is my year, according to the zodiac.

By the way, I went to the shrine in the neighborhood to pay the first visit of the year on January 1st.

There were large snake statues on display, carved out of a block of ice. Worshippers throw money offerings in front of the statues.  

As a matter of facts, late last night, the artists of ice sculptures were carving blocks of ice with electric tools.

  I think many people first become aware of the existence of the zodiac when writing New Year's cards. And we may also be asked about our own zodiac animal during conversations. It is easier to remember about their zodiac animals than what year they were born.

The zodiac signs are familiar to us, but it'll be endless if we start talking about when and why were zodiac signs created? 

I have heard in my childhood about the reason why there was no cat in the zodiac.

In the folklore, the deity gathered the animals together and told them the first 12 animals to arrive would become the 12 zodiac animals. However, the cat forgot the day they were to gather, and when he asked the rat, the rat deliberately told him the next day, so the cat was not included in the 12 zodiac animals. It is said that the cat has been holding a grudge against the rat since then and this is why a cat began to chase a rat when they met.