Beginning in 2000, the Japanese
Diet changed a number of holidays to create 3-day weekends in order
to stimulate consumer spending and travel. Thus, you will see many holidays
falling on days different from those in prior years.
| DATE |
NAME |
JAPANESE |
ROMAJI |
DESCRIPTION |
| January 1 |
New Year's Day |
元日 |
ganjitsu |
A day to celebrate the beginning of the new year. |
January 15
(celebrated on the 2nd Monday of January)
|
Coming of Age Day |
成人の日 |
seijin no hi |
This holiday honors young people who have turned the age of 20
in the previous year. |
| February 11 |
National Foundation Day |
建国記念の日 |
kenkoku kinen no hi |
A day to recall the founding of the nation, and to form the mind
of loving the nation.
ORIGIN: This holiday commemorates the start of the reign of Japan's
legendary first emperor, Jinmu. In 1872, the day became a holiday
in commemoration of that. It had been abolished once after WW2,
but came back in 1966 as National foundation Day. |
| March (based on the Lunar Calendar, ) |
Vernal Equinox Day |
春分の日 |
shunbun no hi |
A day to admire nature, and to love living things. This is a day
for family reunions and visits to family graves.
ORIGIN: At vernal equinox, the emperor would offer prayers for ancestors
of imperial families at a place in the Imperial Palace. |
| April 29 |
Green Day |
みどりの日 |
midori no hi |
A day to be close to nature and thank its benefit, and to foster
the the generous mind.
ORIGIN: April 29 is at first a day to cerebrate the former, Showa
Emperor's birthday. He passed away in 1989, and the day was changed
to Greenery Day and is still a holiday to save Golden Week. |
| May 3 |
Constitution Day |
憲法記念日 |
kenpou kinenbi |
This holiday commemorates the entering into effect of the Constitution
of Japan in 1947. |
| May 4 |
National Day |
国民の休日 |
kokumin no kyujitsu |
A recently created national holiday to make the Golden Week a
continuous holiday. Also called "Between Day." |
| May 5 |
Children's Day |
子供の日 |
kodomo no hi |
This is a day to wish for the health and happiness of children.
ORIGIN: It used to be called Boy's Day (tango no sekku). Girl's
Day is March 3rd. |
| July 20 |
Marine Day |
海の日 |
umi no hi |
A recently introduced national holiday to celebrate the ocean.
The day marks the return of Emperor Meiji from a boat trip to Hokkaido
in 1876. |
| September 15 |
Respect for the Aged Day |
敬老の日 |
keiruo no hi |
A day to love and respect elderly people who did all they could
for the society, and to wish for their longevity. |
| September (latter half) |
Autumn Equinox Day |
秋分の日 |
shubun no hi |
A day to respect ancestors, and to recall those who had passed.This
is a day for family reunions and visits to family graves.
ORIGIN: Its Origin is similar to Vernal Equinox Day's. |
October 10
(celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October) |
Sports Day |
体育の日 |
taiiku no hi |
A day to enjoy sports and train healthy mind and body.
ORIGIN: It's a day in commemoration of Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. |
| November 3 |
Culture Day |
文化の日 |
bunka no hi |
A day to love freedom and peace, and proceed culture.
ORIGIN: It was formerly a birthday of Meiji Emperor, two generations
before of the present emperor. |
| November 23 |
Labour Thanksgivings Day |
勤労感謝の日 |
kinrou kansha no hi |
A day to respect labor, congratulate production, and thank one
another.
ORIGIN: At November 23, the emperor would offer new harvest of the
year to God and eat it by himself, to thank the benefit of God.
After WW2, the day was changed to Labor Thanksgiving Day. |
| December 23 |
Emperor's Birthday |
天皇の誕生日 |
tennou no tanjyobi |
A day to cerebrate Emperor's birthday. On this day, in 1933, Emperor
Akihito was born. |
| DATE |
NAME |
ROMAJI |
DESCRIPTION |
| February 3 |
End of Winter |
|
A day to celebrate the end of winter. |
February 14
|
Valentines Day |
|
On this day, women give chocolates to men. Men return the favor
on White Day. |
| March 3 |
Doll's Festival (Girl's Day) |
hina matsuri |
This is Girl's day. Children's day was once boy's day. |
| March 14 |
White Day |
|
It's the opposite of Valentine's Day. Men give women chocolates. |
| April 1 |
|
|
Start of School, Government and Companies (Fiscal Year) |
| May 1 |
May Day |
|
This holiday commemorates the entering into effect of the Constitution
of Japan in 1947. |
| May (2nd Sunday of May) |
Mother's Day |
|
|
| July (3rd Sunday of July) |
Father's Day |
|
|
| July 7 |
Tanabata Festival |
|
On this day two stars (Altair and Vega) that are usually separated
from each other by the milky way, come together. This is festival
comes from a Chinese sad love story of Orihime and Kengyu. |
| July 13-15 |
Obon (in Tokyo) |
|
Tokyo celebrates Obon before the rest of Japan. |
| August 13-5 |
Obon |
|
"Bon" is the Buddhist festival of the dead. Japanese
go back home and offer prayers to ancestors' souls to free them
from pain in another world. |
| November 15 |
Seven Five Three |
shichigosan |
Girls of age three and seven and boys of age three and five are
celebrated on Shichigosan. Good health and growth are prayed for. |
| December 25 |
Christmas |
|
It is celebrated by an increasing number of Japanese. This day
is very popular to spend with your love interest. |
The days from April 29 (Green Day) to May 5 (Children's Day) are "Golden
Week". Japanese enjoy this short vacation, though Golden Week varies
every year in combinations with the weekend.
