NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
| Jan. 1 | Ganjitsu | New Year's Day | Celebrate the first day of a year. We visit shrines or temples to pray. (.Hatsumoude) |
| 2nd Monday of January | Seijin-no-hi | Coming of Age Day or Young Adults Day |
The coming of age of 20 year old men and women is celebrated |
| Feb. 11 | Kenkoku-kinen-bi | National Foundation Day | According to the earliest Japanese history book, Nihonshoki, on this day in the year 660 BC the first emperor, Jinmu, succeeded to the throne. |
| Mar. 20 or 21 | Shunbun-no-hi | The Spring Equinox Day | People visit their graves during the week. This day is called ohigan. |
| Apr. 29 | Showa-no-hi | Day of Showa | Originally Emperor Showa's birthday |
| May. 3 | Kempou-kinen-bi | Constitution Memorial Day | Remembering the new constitution that was put into effect after the war. National Constitution |
| May. 4 | Midori-no-hi | Greenery Day | Created national holiday to make the first week of May a continuous holiday in 2007.. |
| May. 5 | Kodomo-no-hi | Children's Day | This holiday was originally boy's festival |
| 3rd Monday of July | Umi-no-hi | Marine Day | A newly established national holiday (1996) to celebrate the sea. The day marks the return of Emperor Meiji to Yokohama from a boat trip to Touhoku and Hokkaido in 1876 |
| August 11 | Yama-no-hi | Day of Mountains | A newly established national holiday. Starts from 2016. Commute with mountains and thank the sustenance from mountains |
3rd Monday of September |
Keirou-no-hi | Respect for the Aged Day | Respect for the elderly people |
| Sept 22 or .23 | Shuubun-no-hi | The Autumn Equinox Day | People visit their graves during the week. This day is called ohigan. |
| 2nd Monday of October | Taiiku-no-hi | Health and Sports Day | Oct. 10, 1964, the Olympic games of Tokyo were opened. The government changed the holiday from the 10th to the 2nd Monday in October. |
| Nov. 3 | Bunka-no-hi | Culture Day | A day for promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. On this day, the government awards certain persons for their special cultural activities. |
| Nov. 23 | Kinrou-kansha-no-hi | Labor Thanksgiving Day | Thanks for honoring labour. |
| Dec. 23 | Tennou-tanjyoubi | Emperor's Birthday | The current Emperor's birthday |
If a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a
holiday.
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Not official national holidays
but special days or nationwide events
| Jan./2-3 | shougatsu | Shogatsu, from Jan.1(national holiday ) to Jan. 3rd, is the most important holiday season similar to the Christmas holidays in Christian countries. |
| Feb. 3 | setsubun | One day before the beginning of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar |
| Feb. 14 | St. Valentine's Day | In Japan, women give chocolates to men on this day. A president of Merry Choccorate Co.Ltd. started this habbit. |
| Mar. 3 | Hina-matsuri | Girl's Day or Momo-no-sekku or Doll's festival |
| Mar. 14 | White Day | Men give candys or some gifts to women as acknowledgement for the chocolates
on Valentine's Day. It was started by the candy industry association. |
| Apr. 1 | nendo-hajime | New School year starts, job changing and office moving day. |
| Jul. 7 | Tanabata | Star Festival |
| Aug. 13 | o-bon | The Bon Festival or Festival of the ancestors This is the period that ancestors` spirit come back to this world and commemorate the deceased ancestors. Lots of workers take holidays |
| Aug. 14 | o-bon | |
| Aug. 15 | o-bon | |
| Dec.24 | Christmas Eve | Japan is not a Christian country, but especially among young people they love to spend time together with boyfriend or girlfriend and exchange gifts in romantic mood or children always love any gifts |
| Dec.25 | Christmas | |
| Dec. 28 | goyou-osame | Last working day of the year for most office workers |
| Dec 29 | . | Lots of workers take holidays for year end and prepare for new year From Dec.31 to Jan.3, all the banks are closed. |
| Dec. 30 | . | |
| Dec. 31 | . |
