JapanCorner - The Benihana Guide to Japan

2008

Holidays, Festivals and Special Dates

January 1	New Years Day (Gantan)
January 2	Bank Holiday
January 3	Bank Holiday
January 6	Daruma Doll Festival
2nd Monday in January	Seijin-no-hi (Coming of Age Day)
January 31	Nagasaki Lantern Festival
February 2	Setsubun
February 5	Sapporo Yuki Matsuri
February 11	Kenkoku Kinen-no-hi (National Foundation Day)
February 14	Valentines Day
February 15	Kamakura Festival
February 17	Hachinohe Enburi
March 1	Omizu Tori
March 3	Hina Matsuri
March 18	Kinryuu no Mai (Golden Dragon Dance)
March 21	Ombashira Matsuri
April 1	Back to School
April 10	Oukasai
April 14	Hikiyama Matsuri
April 14	Takayama Spring Festival
April 21	Cherry Blossom Festival
April 28	Hidaka Hibusé Matsuri
April 29	Uesugi Matsuri
April 29	Midori-no-hi (Greenery Day)
May 3	Kenpou Kinen-bi (Constitution Memorial Day)
May 3	Hakata Dontaku
May 3	Hamamatsu Matsuri
May 4	Kokumin-no-Kyujitsu, or People’s Rest Day
May 5	Childrens Day (Kodomo-no-hi)
May 5	Koinobori Matsuri
May 10	Mothers Day (Okaasan-no-hi)
May 11	Ukai (cormorant fishing)
May 17	Sanja Matsuri
June 1	Peron Festival (Dragon Boat Racing)
June 8	Mibu-no-hana Taue
June 15	Chagu-Chagu Umako
June 21	Izawanomiya Otaue Matsuri
July 17	Gion Matsuri
July 20	Umi-no-hi (Marine Day)
July 24	Tenjin Matsuri
July or August	Ancestral Remembrance Day (obon)
July 30	Tanabata
July 31	Sumida River Fireworks Festival
July 31	Kosui Matsuri
August 1	Daimonji Gozan Okuribi
August 2	Nebuta Matsuri
September 14	Danjiri Matsuri
September 14	Yabusame
September 14	Tsurugaoka-Hachimangu Reitasai
September 15	Respect for the Elderly Day (Keirou-no-hi)
September 21	Aki no Takayama Matsuri
September 22	Minami Satsuma-no-jugo-ya Gyoji
October 4	Nihonmatsu Chouchin Matsuri
October 7	Nagasaki Kunchi
October 11	Naha Tug-of-War Festival
October 11	Marimo Matsuri
Second Monday in October	Taiiku-no-hi (National Health and Sports Day
October 18	Kinryuu no Mai (Golden Dragon Dance)
November 2	Karatsu Kunchi
November 3	Bunka-no-hi (National Culture Day)
November 3	Kitsune-no-yomeiri
November 3	Ohara Matsuri
November 15	Shichi-go-san
November 23	Kinrou-kansha-no-hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day)
December 2	Chichibu-yo-matsuri
December 23	Tenno Tanjoubi (Emperors Birthday)
December 25	Christmas
December 31	Toshidon
December 31	Omisoka (New Years Eve)

Additional Holidays

The Vernal Equinox (shunbun-no-hi) is celebrated on that day as determined astronomically usually on March 20th or 21st.
The Autumnal Equinox (shuubun-no-hi) is celebrated on that day as determined astronomically and will be on September 23rd through the year 2011.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is a celebration of Spring coinciding with the blossoming of cherry trees which are popular throughout Japan. Because of the climactic differences between north and south, the actual dates are determined locally but generally occur during April and May often times simultaneously with Golden Week.
Autumnal Festivals such as the Moon Viewing Festival are a celebration of the harvest and the changing of the seasons. Their actual dates vary from region to region.
Saturdays and Sundays are days of rest except many schools and business operate for a half day on Saturdays.

*Golden Week (April 29 - May 5), beginning April 29th on Greenery Day, includes the national holidays Constitution Memorial Day (May 3rd), Citizen Rest Day (May 4th) and Children's Day (May 5th). Because this week has more national holidays than any other in the year, it is typically observed as a week of vacation for many citizens during which many business are closed.
**Unless it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday