Travel Japan: Labor Day, Nov.23rd
Labor Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in Japan.
As a means of celebrating the work done throughout the year, Japan celebrates a Labor Thanksgiving Day every year on 23rd November. This day in Japan is a national holiday, and many government and banking operating will not be functioning.
A Little About This Japanese Holiday
Taking place annually on November 23, Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan is celebrated as an occasion for commemorating labor and production and giving one another thanks. The festival actually is a modern version of the ancient Rice Harvest Festival which has been celebrated for hundreds of years. The festival can be traced all the way back to the year 678, which is the earliest recorded instance of Niiname-Sai. It is the tradition for the emperor to offer some of the new harvest to the Gods on this day.
It was during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) that the date for this festival was set on November 23rd, and it has been maintained ever since.The modern version of this festival was started after World War II in the year 1948, but the ancient tradition is still continued behind closed doors by the imperial family while the Labor Thanksgiving Day is celebrated by the public as a national holiday.
Japan travel tip:
Planning a trip to Japan or even further afield? Avoid major public and religious holidays by planning with our international planner. Ours is the only one to include full listings of Japanese public and national holidays, as well as the public holidays in over 200 countries.
Post a comment