Discover the Japanese Golden Week!

Coto Japanese Academy will only be open for the Golden Week 5 Day Course on May 3rd, 4th, and 5th.  Please note that on April 29th and May 3/4/ 5, there will be no Private Lesson nor Nihongo Plus classes! 

The 29th of April marks the start of a very special week for the Japanese, as known as the Golden Week. What is so special is that a total of four national holidays fall from the end of April till May 5th! This means that Japanese people do not have to work for almost the whole week! As most of you know, Japanese people work really hard. This week seems like a gift to the Japanese people because they can finally have their well-deserved rest. On this very day, many begin their travel plans, spending quality time with their family and friends, or even taking a break after giving their best at work!


29th April 昭和の日 

Known as Showa Day, today is a day to remember the hard work and efforts of Japanese people in rebuilding their country during the Showa Era (1926 to 1989), praying for the country to have a bright future, and also honoring the birthday of the late emperor, Hirohito. Initially, this day was to celebrate Showa Emperor’s birthday during the Showa Era. However, when Showa Emperor met his end in early January of 1989, the celebration of his birthday stopped. The day was changed to Greenery Day. Due to some reasons, Greenery Day was shifted to 4th May and 29th April became Showa Day.


 

3rd May 憲法記念日

Constitution Memorial Day, a national holiday to commemorate the constitution of Japan since 1947. This is the day is for people to reflect upon the meaning of democracy and the Japanese government.

 

 
 


4th May 緑の日

The observation of Greenery Day as a national holiday in Japan begins with the celebration of Emperor Showa’s birthday which falls on 29th April.  After the passing of Emperor Showa, 29th April became the Greenery Day, where Mother Nature is appreciated. “Greenery Day” was named as such to acknowledge the controversial wartime emperor’s love for plants without directly mentioning his name.

 
 


5th May 子供の日

This is a day filled with much joy and laughter of children. It is Children’s Day! According to a Chinese Legend, a carp that swims upstream becomes a dragon. To celebrate this day, families raise the carp-shaped flags on the roof of their house (koinobori) with a black carp representing the father, red carp for the mother and blue, green, purple or orange for the subsequent child. When the wind blows, the carp-shaped flags will look as if it is swimming in the air.

 
 
 


These are the series of holidays that fall on the Golden Week. Which one is your favorite? If you are in Tokyo now, have you made your plans for this week? While everyone is on holiday, everywhere would be crowded! Prepare yourselves to long queues and human congestion this Golden Week. May you have plenty of fun and rest during this chain of national holidays.


Coto Japanese Academy is a unique Japanese Language School in Iidabashi Tokyo, we offer relaxed and fun conversational lessons for all levels of Japanese learner. Coto Japanese Academy prides itself on its community atmosphere and fun lessons that focus on the creation of opportunities to speak and learn Japanese. If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo – please visit our contact page here.

 


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