is a
public holiday in Japan celebrated annually to honor
elderly
Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
citizens. It started in 1966 as a
national holiday and was held on every September 15. Since 2003, Respect for the Aged Day is held on the third Monday of September due to the
Happy Monday System.
This national holiday traces its origins to 1947, when Nomadani-mura (later
Yachiyo-cho, currently
Taka-cho),
Hyōgo Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...
, proclaimed September 15 Old Folks' Day (Toshiyori no Hi). Its popularity spread nationwide, and in 1966 it took its present name and status. Annually,
Japanese media take the opportunity to feature the elderly, reporting on the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country.
Commemorative silver sake cups
Since 1963, the
Japanese government
The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty- ...
has given a commemorative silver sake cup to Japanese who reach the age of 100. In 1963, the number was 153, but with numbers increasing, the government decided to reduce the size of the cup to cut costs in 2009. In 2014, 29,357 received a cup. In 2017, Japan honored 32,097 people (27,461 women and 4,636 men) who turned 100 years old; they each received congratulatory letter and souvenir sake cup from the Prime Minister. According to this report the solid sterling silver cups were replaced with nickel alloy silver plated design which halved the per-unit cost, saving $1-million in the annual budget.
Celebration
On this holiday, people return home to visit and pay respect to the elders. Some people volunteer in neighborhoods by making and distributing free lunch boxes to older citizens. Entertainment is sometimes provided by teenagers and children with various keirokai (events to celebrate elders) performances. Special television programs are also featured by Japanese media on this holiday.
As the birthplace of Respect for the Aged Day, Taka-Town in Hyōgo Prefecture created the Respect for the Aged Song, ''Kitto Arigatō'' (Thank You, Sure), through a public contest in 2013.
References
External links
Senior Citizens Are Living Treasures Respect for the Aged Day
1966 establishments in Japan
Public holidays in Japan
Old age in Japan
Recurring events established in 1966
September observances
Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)
Monday observances
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