11/21/2015

JapaneseHolidays

January1(nationalholiday)
NewYear(shogatsu):
ThisisthemostimportantholidayinJapan.WhileonlyJanuary1isdesignatedasa
nationalholiday,manybusinessesremainclosedthroughJanuary3.Moreinformationis
availableontheNewYearpage.
SecondMondayofJanuary(nationalholiday)
ComingofAge(seijinnohi):
Thecomingofageof20yearoldmenandwomeniscelebratedonthisnationalholiday.
MoreinformationisavailableontheComingofAgepage.
February3
Beginningofspring(setsubun):
Setsubunisnotanationalholiday,butcelebratedatshrinesandtemplesnationwide.
MoreinformationisavailableontheSetsubunpage.
February11(nationalholiday)
NationalFoundationDay(kenkokukinenbi):
AccordingtotheearliestJapanesehistoryrecords,onthisdayintheyear660BCthe
firstJapaneseemperorwascrowned.
February14
Valentine'sDay:
InJapan,womengivechocolatestomenonValentine'sDay.Itisnotanationalholiday.
MoreinformationisavailableontheValentine'sDaypage.
March3
Doll'sFestival(hinamatsuri):
Alsocalledgirl'sfestival.MoreinformationisavailableontheDoll'sFestivalpage.
March14
WhiteDay:
TheoppositeofValentine'sDay:Mengivecakesorchocolatestowomen.Itisnota
nationalholiday.MoreinformationisavailableontheWhiteDaypage.
AroundMarch20(nationalholiday)
SpringEquinoxDay(shunbunnohi):
Gravesarevisitedduringtheweek(ohigan)oftheEquinoxDay.
April29(nationalholiday)
ShowaDay(Showanohi):
ThebirthdayofformerEmperorShowa.Before2007,April29wasknownasGreenery
Day(nowcelebratedonMay4).ShowaDayispartoftheGoldenWeek.

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11/21/2015

JapaneseHolidays

May3(nationalholiday)
ConstitutionDay(kenpokinenbi):
Anationalholidayrememberingthenewconstitution,whichwasputintoeffectafter
thewar.MoreinformationisavailableontheGoldenWeekpage.
May4(nationalholiday)
GreeneryDay(midorinohi):
Until2006,GreeneryDaywascelebratedonApril29,theformerEmperorShowa's
birthday,duetotheemperor'sloveforplantsandnature.ItisnowcelebratedonMay4
andispartoftheGoldenWeek.
May5(nationalholiday)
Children'sDay(kodomonohi):
Alsocalledboy'sfestival.MoreinformationisavailableontheGoldenWeekpage.
July/August7
StarFestival(tanabata):
Tanabataisafestivalratherthananationalholiday.Moreinformationisavailableon
theTanabatapage.
ThirdMondayofJuly(nationalholiday)
OceanDay(uminohi):
Arecentlyintroducednationalholidaytocelebratetheocean.Thedaymarksthereturn
ofEmperorMeijifromaboattriptoHokkaidoin1876.
August11(nationalholiday)
MountainDay(yamanohi):
Newlyintroducedin2016,thisnationalholidaycelebratesmountains.
July/August1315
Obon:
ObonisaBuddhisteventtocommemoratedeceasedancestors.Moreinformationis
availableontheObonpage.
ThirdMondayofSeptember(nationalholiday)
RespectfortheAgedDay(keironohi):
Respectfortheelderlyandlongevityarecelebratedonthisnationalholiday.
AroundSeptember23(nationalholiday)
AutumEquinoxDay(shubunnohi):
Gravesarevisitedduringtheweek(ohigan)oftheEquinoxDay.
SecondMondayofOctober(nationalholiday)
HealthandSportsDay(taiikunohi):
Onthatdayin1964,theOlympicgamesofTokyowereopened.
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11/21/2015

JapaneseHolidays

November3(nationalholiday)
CultureDay(bunkanohi):
Adayforpromotionofcultureandtheloveoffreedomandpeace.Onculture
day,schoolsandthegovernmentawardselectedpersonsfortheirspecial,cultural
achievements.
November15
SevenFiveThree(shichigosan):
Afestivalforchildren,Shichigosanisnotanationalholiday.Moreinformationisavailable
ontheShichigosanpage.
November23(nationalholiday)
LabourThanksgivingDay(kinrokanshanohi):
Anationalholidayforhonoringlabour.
December23(nationalholiday)
Emperor'sBirthday(tennonotanjobi):
Thebirthdayofthecurrentemperorisalwaysanationalholiday.Iftheemperorchanges,
thenationalholidaychangestothebirthdaydateofthenewemperor.
December2425
Christmas:
Christmasisnotanationalholiday,butitiscelebratedbyanincreasingnumberof
Japanese.MoreinformationisavailableontheChristmaspage.
December31
NewYear'sEve(omisoka):
December31isnotanationalholiday.MoreinformationisavailableontheNew
Yearpage.

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