In Japan we love Christmas but it is not a national holiday. Since Christianity is not the major religion in Japan, to lots of Japanese people Christmas is all about Santa – a time to give and exchange gifts. Parents in Japan normally leave gifts in a kid’s room while they are sleeping whereas in the USA the gifts will be placed under the tree. We normally celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve, perhaps because people have to go to work or go to school on Christmas day, or maybe it’s like a pre-party for Santa. On the Christmas day kids open their gifts in the morning before school, and we normally don’t do anything afterwards.
This is the first time that I will talk about “勤労感謝の日” or “Labor Thanksgiving Day”. This day, November 23rd, is a national holiday in Japan. All Japanese people probably know about this holiday, but interestingly many of them misunderstand the real meaning of this holiday. Let me explain. The name “勤労感謝の日” sounds like it is the day to thank workers. In elementary school we wrote thank you letters to the local police officers. For this reason, I never thought about it deeply before, but today I finally realized that this day is actually the Japanese Thanksgiving Day. This holiday reminds us to be grateful for having a job, and to appreciate all the things that are produced by jobs, such as food, products, services, events, entertainments, etc. If I ever told you that there is no Thanksgiving in Japan, then I am sorry, I was wrong. November 23rd is Thanksgiving in Japan.
The 3rd of November is a national holiday in Japan. It is called “Bunka No Hi” or “Culture Day”. This day is dedicated to freedom & peace in Japan and to promote Japanese culture. November 3rd is the birthday of the Meiji emperor (11/3/1852) and is also the day that Japan’s revised constitution was officially announced (11/3/1946). It has been a national holiday since 1948. On this day the entry fee for many museums is either free or discounted and many places hold a special event that is related to Japanese art, music, films, etc.
The second Monday in October is a holiday in Japan. Of course it’s not “Columbus Day”. It’s called “Taiiku no Hi (体育の日)” or “Health and Sports Day”. This holiday started in 1966. It used to be the 10th of October because the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony was held on 10/10/1964, but in 2000 Japan started incorporating the American holiday system and changed the holiday from the 10th of October to the second Monday in October. This holiday is dedicated to growing healthy minds and bodies by playing sports. Of course you should exercise more than just once a year. lol
“Kuru fuku” means “a coming good fortune”, and this is what people hope for from a maneki-neko. Since Japanese people associate the sound of “ku” with the number nine (9) and “fu” with two (2), while “ru” is just an extra sound, the words “kuru fuku” can be represented as 9ru 29 or 9-29. Therefore, the Association for Manekineko Japan has established September 29th as Maneki-Neko Day (招き猫の日). Some communities and/or businesses host special programs or festivals on this day.
Traditionally Otsukimi or the moon-viewing event is held on August 15th based on the old lunar calendar. But it actually falls on different dates depending on the year since we use the solar calendar now. This year, 2018, Otsukimi falls on September 24th. The full moon is actually the 25th. Obviously, the lunar calendar is based on the moon, so 15th of each month is supposed to be the full moon. However, the calendar is not perfect, and in some months a 1~2 day gap can occur.
A neighborhood in Tokyo called Asagaya holds its annual festival (阿佐谷七夕まつり) for Tanabata (click for more details) in August about one month after the day of Tanabata because the date of the festival is based on the lunar calendar. It was first held in 1954 and since then Asagaya has become well known for its spectacular Tanabata festival. They built glass roof in 1962 for the festival because when it rains, the dye from Tanabata decorations can stain visitors’ clothing.
Tanabata (たなばた or 七夕) is a Japanese event / celebration day that originated in China. According to Chinese legend, the Milky Way separates the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). They are in love but are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year. For Tanabata we celebrate the meeting of these two lovers by writing our own wishes on colored paper, and attach these to a bamboo branch. People say that wishes made on Tanabata will come true.
Normally, on Valentine’s Day a girl in Japan gives chocolate or some other gift to a guy. Typically Japanese girls are shy, so this is the day that they are encouraged to be a little more expressive. However, in recent years (probably due to the influence of the U.S.) guys have started giving gifts to girls on Valentine’s Day as well. This is called “reverse chocolate (逆チョコ)”. Many females simply enjoy preparing Valentine’s Day gifts, so we may buy or make chocolate for male friends, male family members, male coworkers, etc., and these are called “obligation chocolates (義理チョコ)”. lol
Ehōmaki means “lucky direction sushi roll” and is a relatively new tradition for Setsubun in Japan. 7-Eleven in Japan introduced this practice for the Setsubun in 1998, and it became popular during the 00s. Ehōmaki is simply a sushi roll with seven ingredients inside one for each of the seven lucky gods. You are supposed to eat the entire roll without cutting it up with a knife. It is said that if you look towards the Ehō or lucky direction, think of your wish, and eat the entire Ehōmaki without talking, then your wish will come true. Some people say that this is nothing but a money making idea by sushi industry and I agree, but it is still a fun and delicious event, right?
