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. | |