ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Japanese clock

The Japanese clock is a kind of clock that tells the time in a special way. Instead of having numbers to show the hour like most clocks, it uses animals from the Chinese zodiac.

There are twelve animals in the zodiac and each animal is used to represent two hours. So, instead of saying it's 1:00 or 2:00, the Japanese clock would say it's the hour of the rat or the hour of the ox.

The animals on the clock are also arranged in a special way. They are organized in a circle and the rat is always at the top of the circle. The other animals follow in order, with the ox next to the rat, and then the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

To help people know what time it is, the Japanese clock also has a little hand that points to the current animal on the clock. This way, people can easily see which animal represents the current time.

Overall, the Japanese clock is a unique and interesting way to tell time that uses animals instead of numbers.