Japanese Cultural Events

Japan is roughly close to the area the size of the State of California, spreading from the north to the south. Japan has a population of 123 million people as of a 2024 estimate, and enjoys high life expectancy, 82.3 years for males and 88.2 years for females (CIA Factbook, 2024).

Japan is an archipelago made up of five main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. According to the CIA Factbook*, Japan consists of 14,125 islands (with a circumference of at least 100 m). Out of these, only 260 of the islands are inhabited. As the land of Japan spread north to south, from equal latitudes of northern Michigan to central Mexico, Japan enjoys diverse climates. Japan enjoys four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, consisting of many cultural events and festivals.


Watermelon Breaking


Below you can view some Japanese holidays and cultural events. Greenville Japanese School enjoys some of these events:

January 1 – New Year (Shougatu, 正月)
This may be one of the most important holidays in Japan. Many businesses are closed from January 1st till January 3rd to make sure that people can rest and enjoy the new year with family members.

Second Monday of January – Coming of Age (Seijin no hi、成人の日)
A national holiday in Japan where young adults who is coming of age, or turning into legal “adulthood” in Japan. The age of legal adulthood in Japan is now 18 years old since 2022.

February 3 – Beginning of Spring (Setsubun、節分) 
It is not a national holiday, but people in Japan celebrate by throwing beans (typically small dried soybeans) to ward off evils and to welcome good spirits at the turn of the season. It is typical to celebrate setsubun by eating “Futomaki”, a type of rolled sushi on this day for good luck.

February 11 – National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen Bi、建国記念日)
Based on the historical record, this is the day the first Japanese emperor was crowned, and is celebrated as a national foundation day. It is a national holiday.

February 14 – Valentine’s Day (ヴァレンタインデー)
It is a commercialized event where women give chocolates or other sweets (such as cookies or candies) to men on Valentine’s Day.

February 23 – Emperor’s Birthday (Tenno No Tanjo Bi、天皇の日)
It is a national holiday where people of Japan would celebrate the birthday of the current emperor. The current emperor‘s birthday is February 23, so it is a holiday. In the Heisei era, December 23rd and in the Showa, April 29th was a holiday, respectively.

March 3 – Doll’s Festival (Hina Matsuri、雛祭り)
Families with girls celebrate and wish their daughters a blessed and happy life by decorating and displaying dolls in the house. There are many different types and sizes of hinaningyo or doll sets.

March 14 – White Day (ホワイトデー)
In response to Valentine’s Day, men give chocolates, other sweets, or gifts to women.

March 20 – Spring Equinox Day (Shunbunn no hi、春分の日)
This is a day called “Ohigan”, and during this week of Equinox Day, many people visit and clean their family graves and tombstones to show respect to their ancestors.

April 29 – Showa Day (Showa no hi、昭和の日)
The birthday of former Emperor of Showa was on April 29th, and this is now celebrated as a national holiday, so that people in Japan can have a nice break that can be connected to the longest holiday of Japan – Golden week.

May 3 – Constitution Day (Kenpo Kinen Bi、憲法記念日)
It is a national holiday to remember and appreciate the constitution of Japan, which was put into effect after World War II.

May 4 – Greenery Day (Midori No Hi、みどりの日)
Greenery Day was created based on the former Emperor Showa’s love for plants and nature. Since his birthday was April 29th, and was a holiday during the Showa era, this day is now celebrated as Midori no hi, and is a part of the Golden Week.

May 5 – Children’s Day (Kodomo No Hi、子どもの日)
It is a day to celebrate children, especially boys (in contrast to the girl’s day celebration on March 3rd). On this day, many families with boys will decorate their homes with carp streamers of different sizes and colors, and/or Kabuto (decorative samurai helmets).

July 7 – Star Festival (Tanabata Matsuri、七夕祭り)
Tanabata is a festival, where we celebrate our hopes and wishes by decorating bamboo trees with origami papers and other crafts. This tanabata is a special day of love and chance encounter based on two characters in a folklore where Hikoboshi prince and Orihime princess meet up by overcoming the
challenges that they faced on this day.

Third Monday of July – Ocean Day (Umi No Hi、海の日)
It is the most recent national holiday for people of Japan to celebrate the ocean. It is said that this day marks the return of Emperor Meiji from a trip to Hokkaido in the late 1800.

August 11 – Mountain day (Yama No Hi、山の日)
Japan enjoys lots of mountains, and this national holiday was introduced in 2016 to celebrate and appreciate the mountains and its resources.

August 13-15 – Ancestor Day (Obon、お盆)
Obon is a Buddhist traditional even to show respect and commemorate the deceased ancestors. Many people in Japan cook special foods, visit and clean family graveyards, and visit extended families on this holiday.

Third Monday of September – Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro No Hi、敬老の日)
Keiro literally means respecting the elderly. It is a national holiday where people in Japan show respect to the elderly and celebrate the longevity of older people. On or around this day, many students in Japan often write letters, poems, or pictures of their grandparents or other older people in their family.

September 23 – Autumn Equinox Day (Shubun No Hi、秋分の日)
This is a day called “Ohigan”, and during this week of Equinox Day, many people visit and clean their family graves and tombstones to show respect to their ancestors.

Second Monday of October – Health and Sports Day (Taiiku No Hi、体育の日)
On October 10th of 1964, the Olympic Games of Tokyo was started. The second Monday of October is now a national holiday where people in Japan celebrate health and sports.

November 3 – Culture Day (Bunka No Hi、文化の日)
This day was originally Emperor Meiji’s Birthday and later became a culture day. This is a day to promote culture, arts, and peace. Every year on this day, the Japanese government (and many schools) award people with special achievements and make contributions to arts and culture.

November 15 – Seven-Five-Three Day (Shichi – Go – San no Hi、七五三)
Girls of age three and seven, and boys of age three and five are celebrated on Nov 15th, often by visiting shrines, temples, and taking photos in traditional clothing. This is a day for Japanese people to celebrate their children’s good health and growth.

November 23 – Labor Thanksgiving day (Kinro Kansha No Hi、勤労感謝の日)
It is a national day to honor people’s work and labor. It is a day that we all are to be thankful for each others‘ work and contribtuions to society.

December 31 – New Year’s Eve (Omisoka、大晦日)
It is not a national holiday, though many people take a day off on this day. It is a day for people in Japan to reflect upon the past year, and purify the year by cleaning, to welcome a new year with a fresh mindset.