Japan consists of four major islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and more than 7,200 small islands, with a total area of 378,000 square kilometers, which is slightly smaller than Yunnan in China. The main ethnic group is the Japanese, who speak Japanese, and the total population is about 126 million.
Japan has a developed cultural industry, especially the animation and game industries, which are world-renowned. Japan, which has rapidly joined the ranks of developed capitalist countries, has a harmonious coexistence of Western civilization and Asian traditions. At the same time, Japan is a model in environmental protection and resource utilization, and its citizens generally have a good education, a high standard of living and national quality. The traditional Japanese culture represented by tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy, etc. is still well preserved.
Summary of Japanese Festivals
Japan’s major festivals can be divided into three categories: festivals stipulated by the Japanese government through laws, traditional festivals commonly celebrated by ordinary people, and popular festivals introduced from other countries in recent years.
Arranged in chronological order, they are roughly as follows
New Year’s Eve: Japan’s New Year’s Eve, the last day of each year, December 31
New Year’s Day: Japan’s Spring Festival, January 1
Coming of Age Day: Coming of Age Day, the second Monday of January
National Foundation Day, February 11
Valentine’s Day: February 14
Doll Day: March 3
White Day: March 14
Vernal Equinox Day, around March 21
Greenery Day, April 29
Constitution Memorial Day, May 3
National Rest Day, May 4
Children’s Day, May 5
Tanabata: Tanabata, July 7
Mengla Festival, July 15
Sea Day, the third Monday in July
Mid-Autumn Festival, August 15
Respect for the Aged Day, the third Monday in September
Autumnal Equinox, around September 23
Sports Day, the second Sunday in October
Culture Day, November 3
Shichi-Go-San, November 15
Labor Thanksgiving Day, November 23 Emperor’s Birthday: Emperor’s Birthday, December 3
Christmas: December 25