Glorification of the Sakura makes most foreigners want to visit in the spring, but as you could've probably guessed, it's not just foreigners that are in love with the babypink flower petals. Many Japanese people plan their holidays around the Golden Week to go to the Northern parts of Japan and travel up to Hokkaido, where the Sakura blooms the latest. But what exactly is Golden Week, you ask? Well, if you've never heard of it, prepare to be disappointed by what sounds like THE most amazing week, when it's literally just a few holidays piling up - basically like what christmas is to us.
First, let me tell you that Japan has a total of 17 national holidays throughout the year which is quite the amount compared to Germany which only has a total of 9 official holidays observed all over the country (with a few exceptions, for example the Federal State of Bayern which has 12-13). These holidays don't include certain times during the year where shops are usually closed, like Obôn in summer or Oshôgatsu in January.
One thing I personally like about the holidays in Japan is that most of them are not inspired by religion. I won't say all, because there is definitely some exception to the rule, but in general, the holidays are not decided by a christian, muslim or jewish (etc.) tradition. This has some very uncomfortable roots in colonialism, but I just feel it's nice that in Japan, none of the main religions is really put above all the others, even though I grew up in a christian-led country. But let's get over each and every holiday in detail.
First things first, there are two holidays in January - the first being January first. Even though January second and third are not considered national holidays, most stores and restaurants will be closed during that time which is called お正月 Oshôgatsu. Whereas you are probably used to a New Year's Eve that goes out with a bang, Japanese New Year's Eve is normally a very quiet and calming evening that resembles christmas in a way. Being with family, taking some quiet time at the end of the year, maybe reflecting on how it went and what your plans are for the next, eating comforting meals, watching TV and maybe catching up on some games or reading you haven't had any time for. I personally have never liked the very tiring and polluting way of doing fireworks on New Year's, so I'm glad to have left that tradition behind.
Either on New Year's Eve itself or in the morning after it's traditional to go to your local shrine to pray for a good year. It's a tradition that has its roots in shintoism, a shamanistic belief system that is argueably not a religion in the traditional sense (although I know scholars of religious beliefs will disagree with me on that and you are free believe them, because they are the experts). Shintoistic shrines are called 神社 Jinja (pronounced djindja) in Japanese and are different from buddhist temples (called お寺 Otera or 寺 Tera). Whereas buddhist temples are religious places of worship for Buddha and other buddhist entities, shinto shrines are considered "houses" or "vacation houses" of different kinds of nature spirits called 神 Kami, a word that has been falsely translated with "God" into the English language. Kami are various kinds of different spirits and deities, and includes the belief that everything has spiritual nature in it. It would be blasphemic in christianity to call someone God, but in shintoism this is a very normal thing to do. A name many of you might be familiar with is probably 大谷翔平 Shôhei Ôtani, who is the current baseball king of Japan. In the Japanese language he is referred to as "Kami" constantly, because he has been setting an extreme amount of records and is a huge source of pride for the Japanese people. He is not a God in the christian sense of the word, but calling him Kami is not considered blasphemic by anybody. Similar with an extremely delicious food, or when a day just goes the way you want it to go - that can be called "Kami" as well.
The second Monday in January of the New Year will be 成人の日 "Seijin no Hi", the Coming of Age Day. This day is usually accompanied by a celebration to which all young people who reached the age of 20 in the last year will wear a traditional Kimono that's very colourful and festive. Men can wear traditional Hakama (the male version of Kimono) as well, but most young men tend to just wear suits nowadays. For most women it's still the traditional Kimono called Furisode, because wearing a Kimono in todays society is rather a rare opportunity. Some people will wear Furisode once the first Sakura have bloomed in order to take pretty pictures.
February used to only have one holiday before the era of Reiwa (current time epoch) which was and still is the National Foundation Day. This is usually on the set date of February 11th falling on a Sunday in 2024, which means that year the national holiday will be held on February 12th, the following Monday.
Since the era of Reiwa started about 5 years ago, Japan gained a new national holiday. This is one of the few holidays that are somewhat religious in nature, as it involves the set belief that the ("heavenly") Emperor of Japan, which doesn't really serve a function apart from having the title and being a symbol, is to be a direct descendant from the goddess of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, which is said to be one of the founders of the isle of Japan (this was an extremely shortcut rundown on what is a very deep and confusing history, so I'm just going to leave some links at the end in case you want to read more about this). The "heavenly Emperor", we call him 天皇 Tennô in Japanese, is a holy figure that is especially important to older folks, as well as very religious people, since he is considered the head of shintoism. The holiday itself is always on the Tennôs birthday, and the current Tennô Naruhito was born on February 23rd, which makes him a pisces... completely unrelated information, I know.
Going over to March now, where we only have one holiday which in turn is not considered a national holiday where I'm from in Germany: Vernal Equinox Day, or the beginning of spring. It was on the 21st of March in 2023 and will be on the 20th of March in 2024, every year it'll be on one of those two days.
Now, we are finally headed towards the beginning of what we in Japan call the ゴールデンウイーク "Golden Week". It starts out at the end of April with Shôwa Day on the 29th, which I find to be a very weird national holiday. For those of you that don't know, Shôwa is one of the many epochs of Japanese time chronology. Whyever Shôwa has its own holiday when all the other time epochs don't will stay a mystery to me. I somehow believe that that holiday will die out once people from the Shôwa era are gone, and especially gone from office, because I firmly believe that it's basically just nostalgia. To be fair, the Shôwa era marked a huge shift in Japans recent history, because it was a time where the Japanese people tried to built themselves up again after losing in the war, did so by never losing their sense of pride and ended up being able to live very prosperous lives. As a German I grew up with a lot of comparable generational trauma, being a descendant from the nation that not only started but also lost the war, the shit that came afterwards when Germany was separated and my family being in the midst of the DDR regime. The difference however was that in my youth, I was shunned for literally just being German whenever I'd leave my home country, which did leave a huge impact. Being told not just outside of Germany, but also inside, in every school lecture about history that I had, we'd go over and over the fact how Germans are basically one of the most horrific creatures on earth, I still to this day feel ashamed of being German. When people tell me they are interested in or love my country, I feel kind of weird and embarrassed, wanting to tell them "but we are shit, you know? you shouldn't like us". Japan, even though having similar trauma as Germany, took the approach that America has been doing. Instead of teaching all sides of history, they make sure to instill a sense of pride and patriotism into their children from a very young age. They like to portray Japan as the poor country that was only wronged and didn't do wrong itself on the one hand, while making sure to highlight the richness and longevity of their wonderful culture. I don't like the approach of either of these two countries, because living with a huge amount of shame for a crime I didn't commit and feeling embarrassed about my heritage rather than proud of where I come from has definitely left its negative impacts on my mental health. However, I get the ick from Japanese people who never try to be even a little bit critical about certain things, as well as trying to explain everything away by saying shit like "that's just how Japanese people are" instead of maybe trying to listen to what someone from outside that culture might have to say.
I completely went on a tangent for a bit, so let me get back on track. After Shôwa Day on April the 29th will follow the "golden" three: May 3rd being Constitution Memorial Day, May 4th Greenery Day and May 5th Childrens Day. This is the time where most Japanese people will usually take a few of their very limited paid leave and go somewhere they've always wanted to go. That might even be a different country, so don't be surprised if you see a lot more Japanese foreign tourists during that time if you live in a touristy area. I would also recommend foreigners to never ever come during that particular time if you want to have a good time in Japan. All of the tourist attractions will be even more crowded than normal and hotel as well as train prices will be through the roof. Instead of making sure every Japanese company worker gets their own paid holiday leave, everyone is made to feel like Golden Week is the only time one should take time off to finally go to Disneyland or Europe or whatever. Most of Japan is going to be on the move from April 29th to March 5th, or, depending on how the days of the week fall, even longer. As an example I've put this years Golden Week of 2023 and next years Golden Week of 2024 onto the illustration I made, because the way the holidays fell this year was a little unfortunate.
April 29th being a Saturday meant that this was just a regular Saturday. Of course, people who normally had to work on Saturday might have had that one off, but those who already have the weekend off on a regular basis didn't really get the feeling of it being a holiday. Next year however, in 2024, the 29th will fall on a Monday, which in turn means that people who usually have the weekend off could just start going places they want to from the 27th on. The three non-holidays in between can be used as a way to use up the paid leave and since next year, Childrens Day, so May 5th, will fall on a Sunday, the following Monday will in turn become the holiday observed. That means by only taking 3 days off, in total people who go that route will be able to have a total of 10 free days. I predict you'll see a lot more Japanese tourists in foreign areas next year, because having 10 free days is such a rarity for the average Japanese person that those with enough money will definitely use that opportunity to go overseas. Oh yeah, of course, shops and restaurants will not close during Golden Week, especially not in tourist areas. Most will however take an equivalent days off a little later in May to make up for it.
I really don't recommend travelling in Japan as a foreigner during that time, because you will have an even more crowded and more expensive experience than the normal Japan tourist experience would be. Just go before the end of April or come during the later half of May, if you really want to visit during those times.
After the Golden Week is over, the next national holiday will be on the 3rd Monday in July. That holiday will be 海の日 Marine Day, or literally translated Day of the Ocean. This year it was on the 17th of July, next year it'll be on the 15th. It's my favourite national holiday because I just love the ocean and I find it a funny coincidence that my beloved ocean has its commemorated day the same month I was born in.
Following Ocean Day we have Mountain Day on the 11th of August. Why some of those national holidays are set to be on certain days of the month and others have set dates will probably stay a mystery to me. However, since August 11th falls on a Sunday next year, the following Monday will become the observed holiday.
In September follows what some people refer to as "Silver Week". It's not really a term as used as much as Golden Week (which even has its own abbreviation: GW, everybody in Japan knows what GW means when they see it), but it stems from the fact that the two holidays in September are very close to one another. Some people will take their remaining paid leave in between those two holidays for travel. The first national holiday is Respect for the Aged Day, which is always held on the third Monday of September. This year it was on September 18th, next year it'll be on September 16th. This is one of the national holidays I can really get behind and wish other countries had something like it. I'm not saying every old person deserves respect, there are certainly a lot of people who don't. But the general census of so many people, especially nowadays, to hyperfocus on youth when in truth, aging and becoming older is such a privilige that not everyone gets to experience, having a national holiday to commemorate the Aged is really beautiful. I also love the fact that Childrens Day and Respect for the Aged Day are just two very important days that celebrate youth as well as age without any specific gender reference (like Mothers Day or Fathers Day do). The following weekend has the Autumnal Equinox Day which was on the 23rd this year, but will be on the 22nd next year. Because the 22nd will be a Sunday, the 23rd will also become a holiday next year, which means two long weekends in a row.
The second Monday in October is reserved for Sports Day which often times encompasses a sports day event in kindergardens and schools. So it might be a national holiday, but many parents won't get time off or be able to go somewhere with their family. I'm personally not a huge sports fan, but I like the attitude towards exercise that Japan shows. Making a national holiday for sport just goes to show how this is something we as humans are meant to celebrate and not hate. Just because some of us (me included!) are not very sporty and don't like exercise, doesn't change the fact that it is healthy and important to try and incorporate some level of it into your life.
November has Culture Day on the 3rd, which again will be a Sunday next year and therefore give us an extra holiday on the 4th. What exactly is meant by culture day I'm not sure, but it's probably hyperfocused on Japanese culture. In our town we had a lot of different events going on over this long weekend (3rd, 4th, 5th) and they were usually focused on some kind of local pride (our local basketball team playing a home game, our "local food" of Gyoza getting its own little festival, ...). We are not the biggest fans of crowds, so we usually stay in.
Another weird national holiday (to me) will be the last holiday of the year: Labour Thanksgiving Day, which is held on Novemder 23rd. It is a very capitalist holiday in nature, but also reminds me of socialist countries having similar holidays. So I only find this day confusing and don't like it. After reading up on it, it seems like this holiday used to be a harvest-related day, but that meaning has gotten completely lost in nowadays Japan. Apparently, May 1st is also celebrated as Labour Day in some trade unions in Japan, which is not a surprise to me, because May 1st is Labour Day in other countries as well (like Germany).
Now you're maybe wondering; wait, what? Why is the end of November the last holiday of the year? Where is christmas in December?
And, I mean, you got it in the name: it's christmas. That doesn't mean Japanese people don't celebrate christmas (somewhat), but companies usually won't allow time off. Please keep this in mind if you're someone who dreams of moving to Japan. Nobody says you can't do christmas, but if you're employed in a Japanese company, you'll not get any day off before the 28th or 29th of December which usually marks the start of Oshôgatsu. As a German who was born into a christian family from former East Germany, we used to celebrate christmas like follows: the 24th is usually the last day to get some last-minute grocery shopping done, because most supermarkets will close at noon so everyone can go home early to be at home for the Silent Night. In my family, my mother (and later I) made a big batch of some really hearty and delicious potatoe salad, which we would eat with wiener sausages. This tradition varies from household to household, which is why I made sure to point out my familys tradition is from what used to be East Germany. They didn't have much, and some of them probably fasted during the week before christmas, so they would have something lighter to break the fast before the feast in the following two days. The 25th and 26th are the two christmas holidays in Germany, which we would usually spend with the larger part of the family on the 25th and then hold a "chosen family"-feast on the 26th where we would be with friends and family members we don't feel obligated to hang out with. I know it's very different in other families, but that's what it was like for me growing up. I personally loved Christmas Eve, the 24th, because it was the day my mother, my brother and I would celebrate together, just the three of us. Sometimes my mothers best friend was joining us, sometimes her family visited, later my now spouse came to Germany to be with us. But it was always the family that I liked to be around. The 25th I didn't like, not even as a small child. It always ended in horrific family drama, we never got along and always fought. There is still a lot of shit I'm yet to unpack in therapy that only went down on those holidays. So I'm trying to say: I really don't miss it.
I try to make some kind of nicety on the 24th for me and my spouse. If we have a family in the future and/or moved over to Aomori, I want to start some new traditions with friends I have over there. For now, since it's just us, I like just having a meal that's a treat on Christmas Eve, and having soft-boiled eggs with ciabatta or baguette for breakfast in the morning of the 25th. The two most important things I always loved during that time: being in calming silence on the 24th with someone I love and some good food and treating ourselves to a hotel-like luxury breakfast in the morning on the next day. We don't do presents, which I've gotten used to. I can live without the rest.
The reason why I personally can live without it is that I kind of view Oshôgatsu as a christmas replacement. Since I never really liked the loud and stinky (and frankly, dangerous) New Year's Eve back in Germany, I really enjoy the quiet tradition of Oshôgatsu where my partners family just sits back and relaxes. We have been combining the two traditions for a few years, when I made my moms potatoe salad and my grandmothers recipe for tiny meatballs. We took the leftovers with us to Aomori and enjoyed them alongside the food my partners father made. Then we would eat Stollen that my mother send via mail, as well as christmas cake which is a "Japanese christmas tradition". All on top of enjoying some good food that we normally don't get to eat as much, being together with family and just enjoying the quiet time.
And that's how a year wraps up.
What I find so interesting about Japanese holidays is that when the set ones fall on a Sunday, they get an extra day where they are observed. This year only one out of all the 17 holidays fell on a Sunday, so we only had one extra free day. Next year it'll be a total of 5 days that fall on Sundays, so there will be 17 days plus 5 extra free days next year, which is just bonkers to me. I also find it quite funny how there are certain days that are literally just days of things in nature: Mountain Day, Marine Day, Greenery Day. Personally, I like that approach, because celebrating nature is something that no religion would forbid or go against (as far as I know), and so people from all walks of life can come together and enjoy a free day.
17 days in total of national holidays is quite the amount. I love how I am as well learning new things while writing this blog for you. This puts a lot of things in perspective - I'm not saying it's good or better, but seeing that Japan has 17 days that are considered national holidays, when for example Berlin where I used to live only has a total of 10, it makes a little bit more sense that Japan has a lot less paid leave compared to Germany. Not saying that I agree with it, I certainly don't, but this opened my eyes to the facts. A rule that I've learned after moving abroad is: There is no such thing as better, just different. Forks are not superior over chopsticks, and vice versa. It's important to be reminded of that fact from time to time.
As some of you maybe already know, paid leave is really low in Japan. Dependant on how long you have been working your ass off for a certain company, you might get to have the same amount of days that is Germanys minimum at some point. In the beginning, during the first 6 months you aren't allowed to take any leave, and after that period, it's a maximum of 10 days a year. Most Japanese people don't take this paid leave however, because if they do, they are ostracized, not only by their coworkers, but also by the higher ups within the company. If they aren't absent, why would you dare to be?
In Germany however, a minimum of 20 days of paid leave a year is legally regulated, most companies offer an average of about 23 to 26 days. Also, if you don't take your paid leave, the company is forced to make you take it once it piles up, because you are allowed to take the holidays you didn't take with you into the next year. This is not a thing in Japan, if you don't take any of your paid leave throughout the year, it will just be reset in the next year.
Having the national holidays off is also not a given for every company. My partner for example always makes sure that the company they are interested in working for allows for leave on national holidays. It's one of their top priorities and I found it somewhat comical at first, but now I understand.
My example of working for a tourist company, even though it was very short-lived due to the pandemic, was something I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up for forever. Whereas in Germany, I know that legally, if you are to work on national holidays, you would get a compensation for that, either in payment and/or in giving you off days on random days in return, that's like just not a thing in Japan. I have heard of a few jobs that will pay a slightly higher wage on holidays, but usually and in my personal experience, there was no such thing. In the beginning, I was sure to get some kind of compensation during the off season, meaning when people won't come as much to travel, but after working there for some time I had to realize that that was a luxury privilege from Germany that I just mistook as the norm. Or, I mean, let's turn it around and say it as it is: Japan is pretty weird not to have rules in place for people who work their asses off on national holidays (service workers included!), but yeah.
To round this whole thing up, I hope you found it somewhat interesting to hear about Japans various kinds of holidays. I've been living here for a few years now and I do really appreciate them, however the Golden Week for example is usually a week where my spouse and I go home to Aomori and look after the grandfather instead of travelling, first because my in-laws usually want to travel somewhere and second: crowds. Sometimes, it's the most relaxing to stay in and instead travel somewhere during the off season.
What holidays does your country or specific state have that people from other countries might not have heard about? Let me know in the comments, I'd be very interested in hearing more about other countries' holidays!
Cheers,
EFA
Are you still with me? Yeah? I know I didn't have to go into so much detail, but I felt like it! Sorry about the random tangent in between, that were just some words that really wanted to come out. I hope you still enjoyed the read and know that I'm extremely grateful for you being here and spending some time of your day to read my blogposts.
Links that I used to research for this blogpost (in case you want to enter some rabbit holes):
Japans holidays year 2024:
Germanys holidays (website in German):
Tennô, the "heavenly Emperor" & Amaterasu, the sun goddess:
Labour Thanksgiving Day:
Comments