The present observation of as a
public holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the birthday of the Emperor Shōwa (
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
, 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". 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.
However, in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the
Japanese Golden Week vacation.
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.
See also
*
Golden Week (Japan)
or is a week from 29 April to early May containing multiple Japanese holidays. It is also known as .
Holidays celebrated
Golden Week encompasses the following public holidays..
Note that is a generic term for any official holiday. 4 May w ...
*
World Environment Day
References
{{Japan Holidays
Public holidays in Japan
Festivals in Japan
May observances
Forestry events