Living in Japan,

General Imformation

General Imformation

nr es take seven to ten days off. er -r eral days before January 1. ■ ne opening of the new year.”)

iHHsaiy 1.

■ ne and watches kohoku-uia-«    ^_:-re małe and fernale singers

■e: 108 times. but it's also tradi-2r The post Office delivers New i animal from the Chinese

iry l — Seijin no hi

•    -G-its ipeople who have turned sc -:1I dress up and go listen to

*    -ved by wild drinking par-

tUrkoku kinembi m - B.C. was when the first ± rtle fanfarę, like an extra

mbun no hi z zn\es.

: people take the week off

eek>

- the father of the current c - :r of his interest in Japan's

¹ Golden Week)

Wfm-n.

-    Between Day (May 4) — Kokumin no kyiijitsu (Golden Week)

A recently created national holiday to make the Golden Week continuous holidays.

-    Children’s Day (May 5) — Kodowo no hi (Golden Week)

Also called Boys’ Festival. Traditional decorations for this day — and all of golden week — include carp-shaped windsocks, called koi-nobori. warrior dolls, called musha-ningyó, and replica

swords.

•Marinę Day (July 20) — Unii no hi A very new national holiday — a good day to go to the ocean or to just stay home and

have a good time.

•Bon Festival or obon (around August 13 -15)

Obon is a Buddhist-oriental festival to commemorate deceased ancestors. This is not an official holiday. but most companies and government offices take this period off. resulting in congested roads and airports.

•Respect-for-the-Aged Day (September 15)— Keiró no hi Respect for the elderly and longevity is celebrated on this national holiday.

•Autumnal Equinox Day (September 23 or 24) — Shubun no hi The week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day is the another time of the year for yisiting

family graves.

•Health and Sports Day (2nd Monday of October) — Ta i i ku no hi

This day in 1964 was when the Olympic games of Tokyo commenced. a day for sports and health-related events tłiroughout the countiy.

•Culture Day (November 3) — Bunka no hi A day for promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. On the culture day, schools and the govemment give awards for special. cultnral activities.

•Labor Thanksgiving Day (November 23) —Kinrókansha no hi A national holiday to honor workers.

•The Emperor’s Birthday (December 23) — Temid Tanjóbi The current emperor was bom on this day. making it a national holiday. Whenever the einperor changes. the national holiday changes to the birthdate of the new emperor.

(When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a holiday.)

- 15