Japanese Holidays and New Year!
December 26th, 2008
Being that it is the end of the ‘holiday’ season for us here in the USA, and for that matter most of the Western world, I thought I’d share some info on Japanese holidays with you.
If you really want to learn Japanese, then it is also important that you learn the culture because the two really are inseperable. A culture’s culture and its holidays are often tightly intertwined. With this in mind, here is a list of the Japanese holidays:
| Month | Name (Romaji) | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1st | Shougatsu/Ganjitsu | New Year’s Day |
| 2nd Monday of January | Seijin no Hi | Coming of Age Day |
| February 11th | Kenkoku Kinin-bi | National Founding Day |
| March 21st | Shunbun no Hi | Spring Equinox Day |
| April 29th | Midori no Hi | Greenery Day |
| May 3rd | Kenpō Kinen-bi | Constitution Day |
| May 4th | Kokumin no Kyûjitsu | National Holiday |
| May 5th | Kodomo no Hi | Children’s Day |
| 3rd Monday of July | Umi no Hi | Marine Day |
| September 13th | Keirō no Hi | Respect for the Aged Day |
| Sepbember 23rd | Shunbun no Hi | Autumn Equinos |
| 2nd Monday of October. | Taiiku no Hi | Health-Sports Day |
| November 3rd | Bunka no Hi | Culture Day |
| November 23rd | Kinrō Kansha no Hi | Labor Thanksgiving Day |
| December 23rd | Tennō Tanjo-bi | Emperor’s Birthday |
The biggest holiday of the year by far is Ganjitsu, New Year’s Day. The New Year’s celebrations last for three days during which people pray for good health and fortune… and party like crazy! There are lots of traditions surrounding Ganjitsu which you can read more about here.
Have a great weekend!
Hi,
Just wanted to thank both of you for lots of useful info. I am living in Japan again ( 3rd time), and wanted to say that the most useful thing for me to bring to Japan ( while I was a tourist) was the Japan Rail Pass. It saved me a lot of money as I toured most of Honshu by rail. It has to be changed in from a voucher to the Pass at the Airport or in large cities. Now that I live and teach here I can no longer buy one.Zannen. Thanks. Lyn in Iwate