Japanese Vocabulary on Holiday – Cheat Sheet (Part 2)

Want to learn more about holidays in Japan? Our Japanese vocabulary on Holiday cheat sheet contains holidays from the second half of the year from July to December.

The pronunciation and meaning of the words are all included, and example sentences are also provided as references on how to use them.

Fun fact: Did you know that there is a holiday on the day of the emperor’s birthday? This means that the date of the holiday changes accordingly to the birthdays of the different emperors.

If you haven’t check them out, head to part one of our Japanese holiday vocabulary cheat sheet to find out when it currently is.

Holiday 休日(きゅうじつ) / 祝日(しゅくじつ)

七月 (しちがつ Shichigatsu)

Holidays in July

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
七夕たなばた tanabataStar Festival
海の日うみ  ひ umi no hiMarine Day

八月 (はちがつ Hachigatsu)

Holidays in August

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
お盆ぼん obonObon
山の日やま  ひ yama no hiMountain Day

九月 (くがつ Kugatsu)

Holidays in September

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
敬老の日けいろう  ひ keirō no hiRespect for the Aged Day
秋分の日しゅうぶん ひ shūbun no hiAutumn Equinox Day

十月 (じゅうがつ Jūgatsu)

Holiday in October

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
体育の日たいいく  ひ taiiku no hiHealth and Sports Day

十一月 (じゅういちがつ Jūichigatsu)

Holidays in November

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
文化の日ぶんか  ひ bunka no hiCulture Day
七五三しちごさん sichi go sanSeven-Five-Three
勤労感謝の日きんろうかんしゃ ひ kinrō kansha no hiLabor Thanksgiving Day

十二月 (じゅうにがつ Jūnigatsu)

Holidays in December

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
クリスマスkurisumasuChristmas
大晦日おおみそか ōmisokaNew Year’s Eve

Example Sentences

Now let us find out how to apply the vocabulary learnt in sentences!

Example 1:

By saying: ‘七五三とは、7歳、5歳、3歳の子どもの成長を祝う行事だ。

Pronunciation: Sichi go san towa, nanasai, gosai, sansai no kodomo no seichō wo iwau gyōji da.

It means: ‘Sichi go san is a festival celebrating the growth of seven, five, and three years olds.‘

Example 2:

By saying: ‘7月第3月曜日海の日だ。

Pronunciation: Sichigatsu no daisan getsuyōbi wa umi no hi da.

It means: ‘The third Monday of June is Marine Day.’


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