Japanese Holidays and Festivals

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New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.

Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind.

Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned.

On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.

January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done.

It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine, attract several million people during the three days. Most impressive are such visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells are rung at midnight.

Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi).



Osechi Ryori

Toshikoshi Soba

There are also a few games traditionally played on New Year, however, their popularity has decreased in recent times. Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton), takoage (kite flying), and karuta (a card game) are some of them.

A very popular custom is the sending of New Year's cards, which are specially marked to be delivered on January 1. It is not uncommon for one person to send out several dozens of cards to friends, relatives and co-workers.

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The Coming of Age festival is celebrated on the second Monday of January (it used to be celebrated always on January 15 until the year 1999). Its Japanese name is Seijin no hi. All young people who turn twenty years old in that year are celebrated on Seijin no hi. Twenty is the age considered as the beginning of adulthood. It is also the minimum legal age for voting, drinking, and smoking.

Celebrations are held nationwide in every town with most of the people turning 20 participating in formal dresses. Seijin no hi is a national holiday.

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Setsubun ("seasonal division") is a festival held on February 3 or 4, one day before the start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar. Setsubun is not a national holiday.

For many centuries, the people of Japan have been performing rituals with the purpose of chasing away evil spirits at the start of spring.

Around the 13th century, for example, it became a custom to drive away evil spirits by the strong smell of burning dried sardine heads, the smoke of burning wood and the noise of drums. While this custom is not popular anymore, a few people still decorate their house entrances with fish heads and holy tree leaves in order to deter evil spirits from entering.

In modern days, the most commonly performed setsubun ritual is the throwing of roasted beans around one's house and at temples and shrines across the country. When throwing the beans, you are supposed to shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Devils out, happiness in"). Afterwards you should pick up and eat the number of beans, which corresponds to your age.

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[glow=purple,2,300] February 11
National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinenbi):
According to the earliest Japanese history books, on this day in the year 660 BC the first Japanese emperor was crowned.

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St. Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14, and White Day one month later on March 14. It is said that St. Valentine's Day was imported to Japan in 1958 by a Japanese confectionery company. In Japan, it is only the women giving presents - mainly chocolate - to men, but not the other way around. Men are supposed to return the favours received on Valentine's Day one month later on White Day, a Japanese creation. White Day is believed to have been introduced by a marshmallow manufacturing company in the 1960s. The white marshmallows gave the day its name but other kinds of presents such as candy, flowers, etc. have become more popular over the years.

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The Hina Matsuri or Doll Festival or Girl's Festival is celebrated on March 3. On this day, families with girls wish their daughters a successful and happy life. Dolls are displayed in the house together with peach blossoms. The doll festival has its origin in a Chinese custom in which bad fortune is transferred to dolls and then removed by abandoning the doll on a river. On Hina Matsuri, sweet sake is drunken and chirashi sushi is eaten.

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March 21
Spring Eqinox Day (shunbun no hi):
Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day. The day itself is a national holiday.

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The Golden Week is a collection of four national holidays within seven days. In combination with well placed weekends, the Golden Week becomes one of Japan's three busiest holiday seasons, besides New Year and the Obon week.

Trains, airports and sightseeing spots get very crowded during Golden Week, and accommodation in tourist areas are booked out well in advance. Foreign visitors are advised to avoid traveling to Japan during the Golden Week.

The national holidays making up the Golden Week are:

April 29
Green Day (Midori no hi):
April 29 used to be the birthday of Emperor Showa who died in the year 1989. After his death, the day was changed into a national holiday for environment and nature since the emperor loved nature.

May 3
Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi):
On this day in 1947, the new post war constitution was put into effect.

May 4
"Between Day" (Kokumin no kyujitsu):
According to Japanese law, if two national holidays are separated by just one day, the day in between is also turned into a national holiday (unless the "between day" is a Sunday, in which case it will be just a regular Sunday).

May 5
Children's Day (Kodomo no hi):
The Boy's Festival (Tango no Sekku) is celebrated on this day. Families pray for the health and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life. The Girl's Festival, by the way, is celebrated on March 3.
In 2005, the weekends will be placed as shown below, creating two separate holidays of three days each. To get up to ten continuous days off, some workers are anticipated to take off May 2 and/or May 6. Also, a few companies will likely shut down on May 2 and/or May 6.

Golden Week 2005

April 25 Mon
April 26 Tue
April 27 Wed
April 28 Thu
April 29 Fri
April 30 Sat
May 1 Sun
May 2 Mon
May 3 Tue
May 4 Wed
May 5 Thu
May 6 Fri
May 7 Sat
May 8 Sun

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Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

Because the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Tanabata is still celebrated on August 7th in some regions of Japan, while it is celebrated on July 7th in other regions.

One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper, and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.
Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest and most famous ones are the Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.

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Third monday of July
Ocean Day (umi no hi):
A recently introduced national holiday to celebrate the ocean. The day marks the return of Emperor Meiji from a boat trip to Hokkaido in 1876.

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Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.

Traditionally, lanterns are hang in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits, obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited and food offerings are made at house altars and temples.

At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes and seas in order to guide the spirits back into their world. The customs followed vary strongly from region to region.

Obon is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar. However, since the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Obon is still celebrated in mid August in many regions of Japan, while it is celebrated in mid July in other regions.

The Obon week in mid August is one of Japan's three major holiday seasons, accompanied by intensive domestic and international travel activities and increased accommodation rates. In 2004, the peak of the Obon travel season is anticipated to take place between August 7 and 15.

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Third monday of September
Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi):
Respect for the elderly and longlivity is celebrated on this national holiday.

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September 23
Autum Equinox Day (shubun no hi):
Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day. The day itself is a national holiday.

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Second monday of October
Health and Sports Day (taiiku no hi):
On that day 1964, the Olympic games of Tokyo were open

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November 3
Culture Day (bunka no hi):
A day for promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. On the culture day, schools and the government award certain persons for their special, cultural activities.

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"Shichi Go San" means "Seven Five Three". Girls of age three and seven and boys of age three and five are celebrated on Shichigosan, and it is prayed for their good health and growth. Shichigosan takes place on November 15 and is not a national holiday. On November 15 or the closest weekend, the young people visit a Shinto Shrine dressed up in kimono.

Odd numbers are considered lucky numbers. Long candies in bags that are decorated with turtles and cranes are given to the children. The candy, the crane, and the turtle, all symbolize longlivity.

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November 23
Labour Thanksgiving Day (kinro kansha no hi):
A national holiday for honoring labour.

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December 23
Emperor's Birthday (tenno no tanjobi):
The birthday of the current emperor is always a national holiday. If the emperor changes, the national holiday changes to the birthday date of the new emperor.

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Christmas was initially introduced to Japan with the arrival of the first Europeans in the 16th century. But only in recent decades has the event become widely popular in Japan, and this despite the fact that Christians make up only about two percent of the population.

While christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, more and more people are taking up traditions such as decorating their home, giving presents to friends and celebrating the event with a special meal.

Most enthusiastic about christmas, however, seem to be retail stores and shopping malls, where christmas trees, santa clauses and other seasonal decorations can be found several weeks in advance. Some public places also feature seasonal illuminations.

The traditional Japanese christmas food is the christmas cake, usually made of sponge cake, strawberries and whipped cream.


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[glow=blue,2,300] There are countless local festivals in Japan because almost every shrine has its own one. Most festivals are held on an annual basis and celebrate events like the coming of the farming season, the harvest, or they commemorate historical events. A festival may be held over several days.


Floats of the Takayama Festival

An important element of Shinto festivals are processions. The kami (Shinto "gods") are carried through the streets in mikoshi (palanquins) by people in special dresses. They are accompanied by decorated floats (kasahoko). On these floats, other people may play the drum, flute and other traditional Japanese instruments. Other floats may carry dolls. Every festival has its own characteristics.

Another element of the festivals are street stalls featuring food, toys and games.

Some very famous festivals are:

Sapporo Yukimatsuri (Sapporo Snow Festival):
Sapporo City. Large snow and ice sculptures are built in the city's centrally located Odori Park. (Three days in the beginning of February)

Takayama Matsuri:
Takayama City. Large and elaborately decorated floats are carried through the streets of the city. Held in spring (Apr. 14-15) and autumn (Oct. 9-10).

Sanja Matsuri:
Asakusa Shrine's festival. It is one of the three big festivals of Tokyo. (Middle of May)

Kyoto Gion Matsuri:
Yasaka Shrine's festival with huge, 6 meters high kasahoko. It is one of three big festivals in Kyoto. (almost the whole month of July)

Hakata Gion Yamagasa:
Fukuoka City. Each area of the city has its own car. They compete in a race against each other. (July 15)

Nebuta Matsuri:
Aomori City. (Aug. 1-7)

Kanto Matsuri (Lantern Festival):
Akita City. (Aug. 4-7)

Tanabata Matsuri (star festival):
Hold in several cities; the most famous in Sendai City (August 6-8) and Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Pref.

Awaodori:
Dancing festival in Tokushima. (August 15-18)

Nagasaki Kunchi:
Nagasaki City. Festival of the Suwa Shrine with much Chinese influence. It features Chinese dragons, portable miniature ships. (October 7-9) [/glow]