Tenno no Tanjobi

Tenno no Tanjobi (天皇の誕生日) or The Emperor’s Birthday is a Japanese National Holiday that is held annually on December 23. The current Emperor, Akihito was born on this day in 1933. The date of Tenno no Tanjobi is determined by the reigning Emperor’s birth date. Thus, if the emperor changes, the national holiday will change to the birthday of the new emperor.

A public ceremony takes place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where the gates of the palace are opened for the public. This is a rare chance to visit the Imperial Palace which is usually off limits to the general public. If you ever wanted to see and hear a real Emperor, this is a golden opportunity.

History of Tenno no Tanjobi 

Tenno no Tanjobi was celebrated on 29 April during the reign of the previous Emperor, Hirohito (1926-1989). That day remained a public holiday, posthumously renamed Greenery Day in 1989 and Showa Day in 2007. Prior to World War II, Tenno no Tanjobi was called Tenchosetsu (天長節) or “Tencho Festival” and expressed hope for the longevity of the reigning emperor. After the war, the new government renamed it Tenno no Tanjobi, which is less formal language. It became a national holiday in 1948.

How is Tenno no Tanjobi Celebrated? 

On December 23 a public ceremony takes place at the Imperial Palace to mark the birthday of the Emperor. The Emperor, accompanied by Empress Michiko and several members of the Imperial Family, appear on the palace balcony to greet the crowd, and receive birthday congratulations. Many well-wishers attend the ceremony as it is a rare chance to visit the Imperial Palace, which is usually off limits to the public. The crowd cheers and wave tiny Japanese flags to mark the occasion.

Festivals and Events for December in Japan

Kinro Kansha no Hi

Kinro Kansha no Hi (勤労感謝の日) or Labour Thanksgiving Day is a Japanese National Holiday that is held annually on November 23. The purpose of the holiday is to commemorate labour and production, as well as for giving one another thanks.

Special events on Kinro Kansha no Hi are held throughout Japan, which encourage thinking about the environment, peace and human rights.

It is also a great time to head out doors to enjoy the koyo (autumn leaves) season with beautiful mild weather and clear blue skies.

History of Kinro kansha no Hi 

Kinro Kansha no Hi was first held in 1948 to mark some of the changes of the post-war constitution of Japan, including fundamental human rights and the expansion of worker’s rights.

Kinro Kansha no Hi is the modern name for an ancient harvest festival known as Niiname-sai (新嘗祭). The festival in written account can trace its roots back to Emperor Temmu (667-686) and traditionally celebrated the year’s hard work in harvesting grains. In this ancient Shinto ritual, the Emperor, on behalf of the nation would make the season’s first offering of freshly harvested rice to the kami (gods), and give thanks for the harvest.

Niiname-sai was first held on November 23 during the reign of the Meiji Emperor (1868-1912) and was a nationally celebrated event.

The modern holiday was established after World War II in 1948 as a day to mark the fact that fundamental human rights were guaranteed and the rights of workers were greatly expanded under the new post-war constitution. Today, Niiname-sai is celebrated privately by the Imperial Family of Japan, while Kinro Kansha no Hi has become a national holiday.

How is Kinro Kansha no Hi Celebrated? 

Kinro Kansha no Hi is a day to encourage thinking about the environment, peace and human rights. Many special events are held throughout Japan including the Nagano Labour Festival, which local labour organizations sponsor to encourage people to think about issues affecting modern Japan. It is a day for Japanese citizens to express gratitude to one another for the hard work done throughout the year and to celebrate the fruits of those labours.

Some early grade elementary students create drawings or handicrafts for the holiday and give them as gifts to local koban (police boxes), or police stations to show their thanks and appreciation for looking after their safety.

Festivals and Events for November in Japan

 

What is the Japan Rail Pass?

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The Japan Rail Pass is a special rail pass that is available to overseas visitors to Japan. The pass entitles the holder to unlimited travel on the national JR train network, including the shinkansen (bullet trains) and selected JR buses and ferries.

Purchasing a Japan Rail Pass is a fantastic idea if you plan on doing extensive travel within Japan. If you plan on visiting popular tourist destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima, it is well worth looking at getting this pass to save both money and time. The rail network in Japan is second to none with excellent fast, efficient services that go just about everywhere throughout the country from one end to the other.

The Japan Rail Pass comes in two different types, one for each class of service, Standard (普通車), also known as economy and Green Car (グリーン車), also known as executive-class.

©Akira Okada/©JNTO

How the Japan Rail Pass Works 

The Japan Rail Pass must be purchased outside of Japan and you must be traveling in Japan under the visa status of ‘temporary visitor’ to be eligible. In order to get a pass, you must first purchase an ‘exchange order’. Once you are in the country, you can validate the ‘exchange order’ at any JR Travel Service Center, which are located all over the country. Make sure you have your passport, temporary visitor stamp and exchange order with you. The pass is time limited with three time periods available: 7 day, 14 day and 21 day. When transforming your Exchange Order you will select an activation date, which is up to 30 days from the time of transformation, so you don’t need to activate it right away. The clock doesn’t start to tick until your desired activation date so you can travel around the first city you arrive in and get the most use out of it later.

©Yasufumi Nishi/©JNTO

 
Here is how the Japan Rail Pass works in six easy steps:

1. Buy your Japan Rail Pass - you can choose between 7, 14 or 21 days and select Economy or Green Car (executive class).

2. Receive your exchange order – you will be shipped your Exchange Order, this is required in order to receive your actual pass in Japan.

3. Go to Japan with your Exchange Order

4. Get your ‘Temporary Visa’ stamp –if you’re Australian you will automatically receive a temporary visa stamp in your passport on arrival.

5. Transform your Exchange Order into a Japan Rail Pass – locate the nearest JR Travel Service Center to change your exchange order into your Japan Rail Pass.

6. Discover Japan using your Japan Rail Pass – now is the fun part you can start using your Japan Rail Pass to discover all that Japan has to offer.

Take a look at this video to see how it all works


You can purchase your pass at Japan Rail Pass Now

Bunka no Hi

Bunka no Hi (文化の日) or Culture Day is a Japanese National Holiday that is held annually on November 3. The purpose of the holiday is to promote Japanese culture, the arts and academic endeavour in Japan.

Typical events on Bunka no Hi include culture festivals, art exhibitions, parades, and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars.

November 3 is typically blessed with fine autumn weather with beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures.

History of Bunka no Hi 

Bunka no Hi was first held in 1948 to commemorate the announcement of the new post-war Japanese constitution on November 3, 1946.

November 3 was first celebrated as a national holiday in 1868, when it was called Tenchō-setsu (天長節), a holiday held in honour of the birthday of the reigning Emperor Meiji. It ceased to be a holiday following Meiji’s death in 1912, but was brought back again in 1927, when his birthday was given its own specific holiday, known as Meiji-setsu (明治節). Meiji-setsu was discontinued as a holiday with the announcement of Culture Day in 1948.

How is Bunka no Hi Celebrated? 

Bunka no Hi is a day to promote Japanese culture, the arts and various fields of academic endeavour. Festivities on the day include art exhibitions, parades, and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars.

Local and prefectural governments typically choose this day to hold art exhibitions, culture festivals and parades. For example, the Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu Parade takes place on this day every year on November 3. It is a spectacular autumn festival held at Yumoto Onsen in Hakone, west of Tokyo. The festival commemorates the journey of Japan’s daimyo, or feudal lords from the capital Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to the provinces during the Edo Period (1603-1868). The festival exhibits Edo Period clothing and historical costumes.

Elementary and Junior High schools often have a ‘Culture Festival’ on or near this day and it is common for universities to present new research and projects on Culture Day.

The prestigious ‘Order of Culture’ has been held on this day since 1936 with a special award ceremony at the Imperial Palace. The Emperor presents those who have significantly advanced science, the arts or culture with an award and it is one of the highest honours bestowed by the Imperial Family.

While this award usually goes to Japanese citizens, foreigners have been recipients in the past, most notably the Apollo 11 astronauts upon their successful return from the moon, and the literary Scholar Donald Keene.

Festivals and Events for November in Japan

Halloween Donuts at Mister Donut

October is the time for delicious autumn food in Japan with seasonal favourites such as pumpkin, sweet potato and chestnuts. Mister Donut Japan has joined the party with a new range of Halloween Donuts that feature pumpkin and sweet potato.

The new special limited edition Halloween range of donuts include Pon de Shu Donuts, which are cream-filled and are fun to eat as well as two types of Jack-o-Lantern donuts and a Pon de Ring Pumpkin.

The Halloween donuts went on sale in early October and will be available for a limited time in Japan. Here is a brief description of each donut for your enjoyment.

Pon de Shu Donut Murasaki Imo and Cookies & Cream 

The Pon de Shu Donut Murasaki Imo and Cookies & Cream features a murasaki imo (purple sweet potato) cream filled donut as well as a crunchy cookies & cream donut. 

Pon de Shu Donut Pumpkin and Cookies & Cream 

The Pon de Shu Donut Pumpkin and Cookies & Cream features a pumpkin cream filled donut as well as a crunchy cookies and cream donut.

Pon de Shu Donut Custard and Cookies & Cream 

The Pon de Shu Donut Custard and Cookie & Cream features a whipped custard cream filled donut as well as a crunchy cookies & cream donut.

Misudo Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Yellow 

The Misudo Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Yellow donut is made with cookie dough, which gives it a light and crunchy pastry texture. It is coated in a pumpkin glaze and perfectly captures the spirit of Halloween.

Misudo Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Chocolate 

The Misudo Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Chocolate donut is also made with cookie dough and features both a white and milk chocolate coating giving it the appearance of a mask.

Pon de Pumpkin 

The Pon de Pumpkin donut is a limited edition Pon de Ring just for Halloween that has a pumpkin glaze and pumpkin seed topping.

The donuts come in a cute Halloween box, which is a great idea. Here are a few pictures from my recent taste test. I hope you enjoy them and Happy Halloween from Japan!

 
Mister Donut Japan Website 

Learn Japanese with Nihongo Master

Nihongo Master is a fantastic Japanese language learning website to help you learn Japanese.

The biggest challenge for me in learning Japanese was trying to stay motivated with my studies. One of the best ways I found to stay motivated is to learn while having fun. You are more likely to learn something and retain it after all if you are enjoying it and having fun. I also found that having a competitive nature behind my studies whether that be an upcoming Japanese test that I wanted to pass, or simply beating my friends in Japanese also helped me stay more motivated.

The Nihongo Master website is all about fun and provides fun interesting lessons and tools that are adaptive and change according to the needs of the learner. The learning system is not dull and boring like a lot of Japanese textbooks can be, but engaging and fun. The easy to follow lessons teach you how to read, write, and speak Japanese with ease.

The site is set up like a competition with rewards and points for the user. This makes it challenging as well as highly motivating. You can test your Japanese skills by completing drills and exercises with your progress recorded by the site and posted on leader-boards. You can celebrate milestones as well as trying to match or beat the progress of your friends or other community users.

The website also has a great community behind it, which means you have other Japanese learners there who are always willing to help. This is great for exchanging ideas or simply asking questions.

If you are looking to learn Japanese, improve your Japanese level or just needs some extra incentive and motivation to get back into the language, definitely give Nihongo Master a try.

Taiku no Hi

Taiku no Hi (体育の日) or Health and Sports Day is a Japanese National Holiday that is held annually on the second Monday of October. This year Taiku no Hi will be on Monday, October 12.

Taiku no Hi commemorates the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games on October 10, 1964, and is a day to promote both sports and an active lifestyle.

History of Taiku no Hi 

 

Taiku no Hi first started as a national holiday on October 10, 1966, just two years after the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. October was chosen as the unusually late time for the Olympics due to its beautiful weather and in order to avoid the Japanese rainy season.

In 2000, Taiku no Hi was moved to the second Monday in October as a result of the Happy Monday system to promote more long weekends in Japan.

How is Taiku no Hi Celebrated? 

Health and Sports Day is a day to promote sport and physical and mental health. A lot of schools in Japan hold their sports festivals (運動会) on this day, which is similar to a mini Olympics with a variety of physical activities ranging from traditional track-and-field events to fun games like tug of war and sack races.

Sports Festival in Gifu

 How will you celebrate Taiku no Hi this year? 

Festivals and Events for October in Japan

Shubun no Hi

Autumn Equinox Day or “Shubun no Hi” (秋分の日) in Japanese is an annual Japanese National Holiday that usually occurs on September 22 or 23. This year Shubun no Hi will be on September 23.

Shubun no Hi marks the changing of the seasons in Japan and commemorates the autumnal equinox, which is a 24-hour period when day and night are the same length. From this day on, days begin getting shorter than nights in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be seen as the official start of autumn in Japan and a sign that cooler days are to come.

It is part of the ‘Silver Week’ holiday period in Japan and follows on from Keiro no Hi which is held on the third Monday of September.

History of Shubun no Hi 

Shubun no Hi first started as a national holiday in 1948. It is a day to mark the changing of the seasons in Japan as well as a day to pay our respects to our deceased ancestors.

In the past, the autumnal equinox was called Shuki-koureisai (the autumn festival of the Emperor’s spirits), and was a day where the emperor worshipped his deceased ancestors.

How is Shubun no Hi Celebrated? 

Many memorial services take place at temples around Japan. People also visit the graves of their ancestors to offer rice cakes called ohagi, clean the tombstone, and offer incense and flowers. It is a time to pray to our deceased ancestors to comfort their spirits.

Image Source

Keiro no Hi

Respect for the Aged Day or “Keiro no Hi” (敬老の日) in Japanese is an annual Japanese National Holiday held on the third Monday of September.

This year Keiro no Hi will be on September 21st and is part of the 'Silver Week' holiday period in Japan.

Keiro no Hi was established as a day to honour elderly citizens and celebrate longevity in Japan. 

History of Keiro no Hi 

Keiro no Hi first started as a national holiday in 1966, but can trace its origins back to 1947 when Taka-cho in Hyogo Prefecture declared September 15, “Old Folks Day”, highlighting its elderly citizens and celebrating longevity. Its popularity soon spread nationwide and it became an official national holiday in 1966. It was originally held every September 15th, but changed in 2003 when the Happy Monday System kicked in, moving it to the third Monday of September.

How is Keiro no Hi Celebrated?

To honour their elders, many Japanese communities throw parties and offer special gifts to bring even more longevity to their lives. Young school children in Japan are encouraged to present their grandparents with presents or handmade gifts to celebrate the occasion and show their respect and appreciation.

Image Source

Japanese media take the opportunity of ‘Respect for the Aged Day’ to feature the elderly by reporting on the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world with men on average living to 80 and women 87 (WHO 2015).

Japanese citizens who became 100 years old in the 12 months before Keiro no Hi receive a silver sake dish on Respect for the Aged Day.

Silver Week in Japan

Silver Week is a new term used in Japan to describe a string of consecutive national holidays that occur in September.

Silver Week or (シルバーウィーク) in Japanese is called 'Silver Week' because it is a close second to that other famous collection of national holidays in late April and early May which is called ‘Golden Week’. Silver is also a commonly used word that is used to describe the older generation in Japan. Respect for the Aged Day is one of the national holidays that falls in the Silver Week period, so it can be said to have a double meaning.

The three national holidays that make up the five-day break of Silver Week are:

• Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro no Hi) – third Monday of September 
• Autumn Equinox Day (Shubun no Hi) – usually around September 23 
• Citizens’ Holiday (Kokumin no Kyūjitsu) – the day between the two other holidays 

 

Japan’s Holiday Laws 

Japanese law stipulates that any workday sandwiched between two national holidays should become an additional holiday. Nice, right? This special national holiday is given the general term Kokumin no Kyūjitsu.

Japan also has the Happy Monday system, whereby any national holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is shifted to the Monday.

Got to love Japan, right? The land of national holidays!

The Next Silver Week 

Unfortunately Silver Week is a rare occurrence that only happens when the stars perfectly align and Japan’s national holiday laws kick-in. The next Silver Week will occur again in September 2020 (September 19 -23), so make sure you make the most of this fantastic opportunity if you are in Japan.

Silver Week is a popular time to travel in Japan and to get outdoors to enjoy the beautiful Autumn weather. We have a Sports Day (運動会) to attend today in Gifu. 

How do you plan to spend Silver Week in 2015?

Song of the Week: Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono) – Zone

This week’s Song of the Week is Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono) by a girls group called Zone. The song Secret Base ~君がくれたもの (Kimi ga Kureta Mono) is about a sad goodbye to a good friend.

Zone was an all-female pop rock band who formed in Sapporo, Japan in 1999. They released their first single, “Good Days” on February 7, 2001. The four piece band comprises of lead vocalist/guitarist Miyu Nagase, vocalist/drummer Mizuho Saito, vocalist/bassist Maiko Sakae and vocalist/guitarist Takayo Ookishi.

Interestingly, Zone originally started out as a dance group, but due to the overabundance of dance groups at that time in Japan decided to breakout as a band that played instruments as well as sing and dance. They were part of a new genre in Japan called “bandol” which is a combination of the words band and idol. Indeed, you could call Zone an idol pop-rock band. A group that can sing, dance and play an instrument.

Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono) was the bands most famous song and was released on August 8, 2001. The single was a massive hit for the band reaching number 2 on the Japanese Oricon charts. The song has also been covered by popular girls band SCANDAL in Japan.

Zone officially disbanded on April 1, 2005, but reunited briefly (without Mizuho) in 2011 in honour of the 10th anniversary of “Secret Base’. They officially broke-up (ended) on March 2, 2013.

It is a great song and reminds me very much of the joys of summer and that it all must come to an end.

Zone Official Website 

Here is Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono) by Zone

Tsukimi Burger 2015

The Tsukimi Burger is back for Autumn 2015 in Japan! Currently available at McDonald’s restaurants across Japan, it is a sure tell sign that Autumn has finally arrived here in Japan.

Autumn is considered a time in Japan to enjoy delicious season food, cooler weather after the summer heat, and koyo (紅葉) which is viewing of the colourful Autumn leaves. The Tsukimi Burger It is only available for a limited time during the early Autumn and made its appearance back on the menu again in early September. It will remain on the menu until early October.

The Tsukimi Burger has been around for a few years now, making its first appearance way back in 1991. It has been a popular seasonal favourite ever since and always comes back in some form or the other every year. It traditionally contains a beef patty, smoky bacon, a poached egg and a special sauce (ketchup mixed with Japanese mayonnaise).

The Tsukimi Burger (月見バーガー) is named after the famous Japanese tradition of tsukimi (月見) or moon viewing, which is a festival honouring the bright Autumn moon. The poached egg in the burger is said to resemble the Autumn full moon with the egg yolk representing the bright Autumn full moon and the egg white the white sky.

In 2013 McDonald’s released a new addition to the Tsukimi line-up with the Chicken Cheese Tsukimi Burger. In 2014 it was the Kinoko Tsukimi Burger featuring mushrooms. What will it be in 2015?

This year in 2015 they have released two new Hokkaido cheese versions of the Tsukimi Burger to go along with the original Tsukimi Burger. The new additions are the Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger and the Chicken Tsukimi Hokkaido Cheese Burger.

Tsukimi Burger 

The original and some say best version of the burger contains a beef patty, smoky bacon, a poached egg and special sauce.

Original Tsukimi Burger

 

Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger 

The Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi is the same as the original Tsukimi Burger with the addition of Hokkaido cheddar cheese.

Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger

Chicken Tsukimi Hokkaido Cheese Burger 

The Chicken Tsukimi Hokkaido Cheese features a crispy chicken patty along with smoky bacon, Hokkaido cheddar cheese and special sauce.

Chicken Tsukimi Hokkaido Cheese Burger

The Tsukimi Burger has long been a favourite of ours at Japan Australia, so we had to head over the our nearest McDonald’s to test out the new Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger. 

The Taste Test 

The new Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger certainly didn’t disappoint and we really liked the addition of the Hokkaido cheddar cheese which was really creamy. Eating the burger was like being reacquainted with a long lost friend. Ah, Autumn is finally back in Japan and this cooler weather is just another sign that the long hot summer in Japan is finally over for another year.

Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger Set

The simple wrapping of the Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger

The Hokkaido Cheese Tsukimi Burger Unwrapped

Prices for the burgers vary depending on the region of Japan. The Tsukimi Burgers are only available for a limited time, so hurry on in if you want to give them a try.

McDonald’s Japan Website

Song of the Week: Natsu no Owari – Moriyama Naotarō

This week’s Song of the Week is Natsu no Owari by Moriyama Naotarō. The title “Natsu no Owari” (夏の終わり) means The End of Summer, which is perfect for this week’s song as last week signaled the end of summer in Japan and the start of Autumn. 

Moriyama Naotarō ((森山直太朗) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter from Tokyo, Japan. He made his major debut in 2002 with the single “Hoshikuzu no Serenade” and made his big break with the hit song “Sakura” in March, 2003. Naotarō comes from a music family, his mother is the famous 1970’s Japanese folk singer, Ryōko Moriyama.

It was during University at Seijo University that Naotarō started seriously planning guitar and writing songs. He started doing street performances from there as well as playing in music clubs in the Tokyo area. He was picked up by the music label ‘NNR’, releasing a mini-album in 2001.

Natsu no Owari was released on August 20, 2003 and followed up on the success of “Sakura” released earlier that year. Natsu no Owari was Naotarō’s third single and is still very popular today as a summer song.

Moriyama Naotarō is a really interesting singer with a unique distinctive style. You can check out his official website here naotaro.com.

 I hope you like the song and if you’re in Japan like me enjoy the Autumn ahead.

Natsu no Owari by Moriyama Naotarō

Stay Healthy in Japan with HealthyTokyo.com

HealthyTokyo.com is a great resource for foreigners to stay healthy in Japan with its guide to Japan’s best health and wellness providers.

What’s the biggest health risk for foreigners in Japan? Experiencing an earthquake or major typhoon? Being jammed into a packed train during peak rush-hour? Actually, none of these. Whether you are an expat living in Japan or visiting the country for travel, the biggest risk is not getting the health and wellness support you need. With language a potential obstacle, a health care system different from what you are used to, or simply because you do not know who to ask and where to go, getting the treatment you need will most likely be complicated and time-consuming.

The good news is that there is now a very useful health and wellness web-service available. HealthyTokyo.com was created to minimize the risks and make it simple as ever for foreign residents and visitors to connect with English-speaking doctors, dentists, personal coaches and other health and wellness specialists in Japan.

You can become a member by signing up for free and access the HealthyTokyo network as you wish. Looking for an English-speaking doctor or dentist? Just search the Medical Partners category. Looking for an English-speaking personal trainer? Want to start a healthy diet? Or maybe you would you like to become a certified Yogi? You may find the perfect coach in the Wellness Coaches category. Finally, you get access to an extensive group of wellness and lifestyle experts in the Healthy Partners section; gyms, spas, Japanese Shiatsu Massage and healthy restaurants are some of the many services and places you can find on HealthyTokyo.com with details about their offerings.

HealthyTokyo also offers a premium membership plan. Premium members have access through a live chat service to a Healthy Concierge who will find specific places like a doctor, dentist or wellness services and make appointments, both in and beyond HealthyTokyo’s partner network. Last but not least, the premium plan provides members with special offers such as free trials and discounts offered by the multitude of partners.

Both short term visitors and expats living in Japan will benefit from HealthyTokyo.com. A great and long-awaited resource. The only condition for membership is that you care about your health.

If you want to stay healthy in Japan visit HealthyTokyo.com now and sign up for their free member registration.