Let’s check what’s going on in Japan?

 

 National Events and Holidays
🇯🇵=National Holiday
 Charms for tourists
❤=Tourist interests (*My point of view.)
JAN  1/1 🇯🇵 New Year’s Day
 1/1〜1/3 Hatsumode(New Year’s visit) People visit temples or shrines during New Year’s holidays nationwide.
 The 2nd
Sunday
🇯🇵 Coming of Age Day ❤❤  Many young women in beautiful kimono can be seen nationwide.
FEB  2/3 Setsubun Festival (Bean-Throwing) ❤❤❤ Temples and shrines hold Bean-Throwing ceremony nationwide.
 2/11 🇯🇵 National Foundation Day ❤  National Foundation Day parade in Shibuya, Tokyo.
 2/14 Valentine’s Day
MAR  3/3 Hina-matsuri (Girls’ Day or Doll Festival)❤❤❤  Beautiful Doll display can be seen nationwide.
 3/14 White Day (Men’s Valentine Day)
 〜3/21〜 🇯🇵 Vernal Equinox Day (Higan Week)  People visit ancestor’s graves during Higan week.
APR  4/29 🇯🇵 Showa Day (Start of Golden Week) Golden week is a week with many national holidays. Everywhere packed with people including accommodations and transportations. Better to avoid visiting during this period if possible.
MAY  5/3 🇯🇵 Constitution Memorial Day
 5/4 🇯🇵 Greenery Day
 5/5 🇯🇵 Children’s day (End of Golden Week) ❤❤ Former Boys’ Day. Samurai warrior doll display and Koi carp streamers can be seen nationwide.
 The 2nd
Sunday
 Mother’s Day The day to thank mothers.
Giving carnations is common practice.
JUNE  The 3rd
Sunday
 Father’s Day The day to thank fathers.
Giving yellow roses is common practice.
JULY  7/7  Tanabata Festival ❤❤❤  Some regions hold big Tanabata festivals.
 The 3rd
Monday
🇯🇵 Marine Day Some regions hold ocean-related events.
AUG  8/11 🇯🇵 Mountain Day Newly designated as a natinal holiday in 2016 to make Obon Holiday longer with connection.
 8/13〜15  Obon holiday +Obon Dance Festival ❤❤ Buddhist custom. Not the national holidays, but customarily most companies set as the holidays. Obon Dance Festival held nationwide.
SEP  9/1  Disaster Prevention Day  Emergency drills or Evacuation drills nationwide.
 The 3rd
Monday
🇯🇵 Respect For The Aged Day National holiday to show the respect elderly.
 9/23 🇯🇵 Autumnal Equinox Day (Higan Week) People visit ancestor’s graves during Higan week.
OCT  The 2nd
Monday
🇯🇵 Health and Sports Day
NOV  11/3 🇯🇵 Culture Day
 11/15  Shichi-Go-San Festival ❤❤❤ 3 and 5-year-old boys and 3 and 7-year-old girls have the celebration in shrines, wearing cute kimonos.  They are often seen on weekends in November.
 11/23 🇯🇵 Labour Thanksgiving day
DEC  12/23 🇯🇵 Emperor’s Birthday
 12/31  New Year’s Eve (Omisoka) Not a national holiday, but most people don’t work. People visit shrines and temples midnight. Temples ring 108 bells around midnight.