Greenery Day

The present observation of Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no Hi) as a national holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the birthday of the Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito, who lived from 1901 to 1989) on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era (1926-1989). In 1989, following the ascension of the Emperor Akihito to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the name of the holiday was changed from "Birthday of the Emperor" to "Greenery Day".[1] Officially, as its name suggests, it is a day to commune with nature and to be thankful for blessings. The day was renamed to "Greenery Day" to acknowledge the controversial wartime emperor's love for plants without directly mentioning his name.[2] However, in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week vacation.

Not to be confused with Green Day.
Greenery Day
Observed byJapan
TypeNational
DateMay 4
Related toGolden Week (Japan), World Environment Day

In 2007, Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was changed to Shōwa Day in accordance with a 2005 revision of the law pertaining to public holidays. The Shōwa Emperor reigned for 62 years and 2 weeks. On May 3, 1947, he became a symbol of Japan by the new constitution of the country.

YearsApril 29May 4
before 1988The Emperor's BirthdayNon-holiday
1988The Emperor's BirthdayNational day of rest
1989–2006Greenery DayNational day of rest
2007–Shōwa DayGreenery Day

See also

References
  1. "Golden Week". Japan-guide.com. 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
  2. "'Japan names day after Hirohito". BBC News. 2005-05-13. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.