After the season of cherry blossoms is over in April, the long holiday called “Golden week” is coming. It’s the one of busiest days that people travel abroad and inside Japan during this “Golden week”. A half million people will be expected to travel outside of Japan during this Golden week. People can get holidays for 5 to 11 days as Golden week this year.
What is Golden week? :
Golden week is a Japanese term applied to the period containing the following public holidays such as “Showa Day”, “Constitution Memorial Day”, “Greenery Day” and “Children’s Day”.
Showa no hi(Showa Day) :
Showa Day is a Japanese annual holiday held on April 29. It honors the birthday of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), the reigning Emperor before, during, and after World War II which is from 1926 to 1989. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito’s reign.
Kenpo Kinen Bi(Constitution Memorial Day) :
Constitution Memorial Day is a national holiday in Japan. It takes place on May 3rd in celebration of the promulgation of the 1947 Constitution of Japan.
Midori no hi(Greenery Day) :
it is a day to commune with nature and to be thankful for blessings. It takes place on May 4th.
Kodomo no hi(Children’s Day) :
It’s Japanese Boy’s Festival originally called Tango no Sekku(端午の節句) and it is a day to pray for healthy growth of boys. This day was celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th moon in the lunar calendar or Chinese calendar. After Japan’s switch to the Gregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5. The festival is still celebrated in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea and Vietnam as well.
It’s a Japanese tradition for families of boys to hang up carp streamers called “Koinobori(鯉のぼり)” outside their houses around this Boy’s Festival(Children’s Day). In Japan, carps are believed to symbolize successes in children’s lives.
But unless people have any kid, they don’t celebrate this day and the other days above so much. They consider these national days as just a long holiday. People usually relax and enjoy doing something that they want to do.
Kids want to go to places where they haven’t gone with their parents. They might be camping, traveling, going to theme parks, fishing or something else. Others enjoy what they want to do during this Golden week.
