ntca seminar on japan winter 06 mari noda the ohio state university january 24, 2006 [email protected]
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Sources• Wikipedia (free encyclopedia)
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page– http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/メインページ
• What’s What in Japan’s Diet, Government, and Public Agencies (1989, The Japan Times, ISBN4-7890-0444-9)
• http://www.lib.duke.edu/ias/eac/ministries.htm
Significant Days of the Year
• National Holidays• Cultural days• Historical days (related to WW II)• Commercial days (Giving & receiving culture)– Valentines Day– White Day– Mid-year/Year-end gift giving (Otyûgen / Oseibo)
National HolidaysEstablished in 1948 to celebrate, express gratitude, or to commemorate together to nurture beautiful traditions, better society, and prosperous lives.
14 National Holidays New Year’s Day (January 1)Coming of the Age Day (2nd Monday in Jan.)National Foundation Day (February 11)Spring Equinox (~March 21)Greenery Day (April 29)Constitution Day (May 3)Children’s Day (May 4)Ocean Day (3rd Monday in July)Respect for the Aged Day (3rd Monday in Sept.)Autumn Equinox Day (~Sept. 23)Health and Sports Day (2nd Monday in Oct.)Culture Day (November 3)Labor Thanksgiving Day (November 23)Emperor’s Birthday (December 23)
New Year’s Day (o)shôgatsu
• Beginning of the year• Religious, imperial holiday --> a family-community-based celebration --> commercialized holiday?
• Gantan (1/1) --- XX-zome (1/2) ---Sanganiti (3 days, 1-3rd) --- Nanakusa (1/7) --- Kagami-biraki (~1/11) --- Matsu-no-uti (~1/15) ---
New Year’s Day activities
New Year’s Tradition
Coming of the Age DaySeijin no Hi
• Established in 1948 (Jan 15h), amended in 2000 (Happy Monday Act)
• Celebrate the attainment of full rights and responsibilities as a member of society
• Age=20– Consumption of alcoholic beverages and tobacco
– Rights to vote
• Concept of maturity?
National Foundation Day
Kenkoku Kinen no Hi
• Established in 1966• Not the day of national foundation, but the day to celebrate the national foundation.
• Cf. Kigensetsu (celebrated 1873-1948)
Spring EquinoxShunbun no Hi
• Celebrate nature and cherish all living beings.
Golden Week
• Multiple holidays (4/29-5/3-5/5) + pleasant weather = travel boom
• The 2005 change in the holiday law: (Substitute holiday+In-between day) --> 4/29-5/3-5/4-5/5
Greenery DayMidori no Hi
• Established in 1948 as the (Showa) emperor’s birthday. Renamed after his death in 1989.
• To consider environmental issues, nature preservation, and community greening.– The Kyoto Protocol– Recycling– Energy conservation
• 2005 law to make 4/29 the Showa Day and May 4th the Greenery Day, effective, 2007.
Kyoto Protocol
Constitution DayKenpo Kinenbi
• Current Constitution, came into effect on May 3, 1947.
• 2005 Survey by the Asahi Shimbun: 51% opposed to Article 9.
Constitution of Japan• The constitution guarantees equality before the law and outlaws discrimination based on "political, economic or social relations" or "race, creed, sex, social status or family origin" (Article 14). The right to vote cannot be denied on the grounds of "race, creed, sex, social status, family origin, education, property or income" (Article 44). Equality between the sexes is explicitly guaranteed in relation to marriage (Article 24) and childhood education (Article 26).
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Emperor: Symbol of State
Supreme Court
Appoint Chief Justice
The Diet
Election
Citizen
Audit
Prime Minister
The Cabinet
Children’s DayKodomo no Hi
• To respect children’s personalities, wish for their happiness, and to thank mothers.
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Ocean DayUmi no Hi
• Established in 1996 as July 20, changed in 2003 to the 3rd Monday in July.
• To thank the gifts of the ocean and to hope for the prosperity of Japan, a seafaring nation.
Respect for the Aged Day
Keiro no Hi
• Established in 1966• Aging nation • Baby boomers • Declining birth rate
Autumn Equinox DayShûbun no Hi
• To worship/honor the ancestors and remember the deceased.
Health and Sports Day
Taiiku no Hi
• Established in 1966, October 10th
• Amended in 2000, 2nd Monday in October.
Culture DayBunka no Hi
• To love freedom and peace and encourage cultural activities.
• Based on the proclamation of the Japanese Constitution (11/3/1946)
Labor Thanksgiving Day
Kinrokansya no HI
• To respect labor, celebrate productivity and express gratitude to each other
• Based on celebration of harvest in the Imperial Household.
Emperor’s BirthdayTennô Tanjôbi
• Birthdays of recent emperors– Meiji = November 3– Taisho=August 31– Showa = April 29– Heisei = December 23
The Imperial Household
Cultural Days• Setsubun (around February 3rd)• Doll’s Festival Hinamatsuri (March 3rd)
• Star Festival Tanabata (July 7th)• Obon (July/August 15th) • Moon Festival Jûgo-ya (~9/15)• Seven-Five-Three Shiti-Go-San (November 15th)– Auspicious numbers
• New Year’s Eve Ômisoka (12/31)
Historical Days
• the days Atomic Bomb was dropped in Hiroshima (8/6/45), Nagasaki (8/9/45)
• End of WW II (8/15/45)
Commercial Holidays/Events
• Valentine’s Day• White Day• Mother’s Day• Father’s Day• Christmas• Ochugen / Oseibo