Coming of Age Day: January 14, 2019, Tokyo, Japan.Here are the official national holidays and dates for Japan in 2019 . . .
New Year's Day: Jan 1 (self-explanatory).
Coming of Age Day: Jan 14 (turning 20 means adulthood, so all the new 20-year-olds dress up in kimonos and yukatas and have a party).
National Foundation Day: Feb 11 (a very old celebration going back to 660 BCE when Emperor Jimmu ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne and Japan was born).
Vernal Equinox Day: Mar 21 (yes, the Japanese celebrate the spring equinox!).
Showa Day: Apr 29 (the first holiday on the Japanese calendar commemorating the birthday of the Showa emperor).
Constitution Memorial Day: May 3 (commemorating the inauguration of the current Japanese constitution, back in 1947).
Greenery Day: May 4 (celebrating and expressing thanks for nature and its splendor).
Children's Day: May 5 (celebrating kids!).
Marine Day: Jul 15 (celebrating the ocean and the sun and the bounty they provide).
Mountain Day: Aug 11-12 (lots of mountains here and they're honored for contributing to happiness and natural beauty).
Respect for the Aged Day: Sept 16 (the elderly are accorded great respect all throughout Asia, but this day is specially dedicated to honoring them; lots of flowers and cards).
Autumnal Equinox Day: Sept 23 (heading into fall; the harvest after all is a big deal!)
Health-Sports Day: Oct 14 (honoring health, fitness, sports).
Culture Day: Nov 3-4 (people go to museums, also celebrate the post-war announcement of the new constitution, and the birthday of Emperor Meiji).
Labor Thanksgiving Day: Nov 23 (unions march to celebrate labor rights, farmers give final thanks for the harvest, hopefully a fruitful and profitable one).
Notice anything missing? Where are the military parades? Where is the nationalism? The self-aggrandizing political speeches?
Short answer: There aren't any military celebrations. Maybe honoring the constitution is "political" in a way. It celebrates the political framework of Japan, but I believe without being nationalistic. The birth of the country? Again, it's about self-respect rather than superiority and "indispensability".
Most holidays, as is evident, are very innocent, focusing on people and nature. Celebrating mountains? The oceans? The position of the Earth in its orbit around the sun? Old folks? Kids? Adolescents becoming adults? Without getting drunk and hurling bottles at passing motorists? Or eating seven times my body weight in barbecued ribs?
Some westerners might be tempted to sneer and make some snarky remark.
I can't help but smile and be grateful I'm not hearing war drums, 21-gun salutes, and parades of politicians moralizing about the honor of dying on the battlefield.
I'd rather thank the trees for being so green, the sun for showing up on time.
[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . https://jdrachel.com ]
Life In Japan: National Holidays
