Mountain Day in Japan
When is Mountain Day in Japan?
Mountain Day in Japan is on August 11, 2024. It falls on Sunday.
How many days until Mountain Day in Japan?
There are 113 Days left until Mountain Day in Japan.
Is Mountain Day a public holiday in Japan?
Mountain Day or locally known by the Japanese as ‘Yama no hi’, is the newest national holiday in Japan. It is celebrated every 11th of August every year. The day is established to encourage the Japanese people to be more appreciative and express gratitude towards the blessings acquired from the mountains.
Origin of Mountain Day
Being a public holiday, most businesses are closed on this day and employees are given a day to rest at home, or perhaps, spend a day in the mountains. Schools and all government institutions will have the day off as well. On the other hand, those companies in the service industry(e.g. shop, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, tourist destinations, etc.) would most likely continue to operate during the holiday.
When did Mountain Day become an official national holiday?
For the past years, the Japanese Alpine Club (a mountaineering and climbing organisation in Japan) and many other mountain-related groups, have been trying to strive to influence the National Diet (bicameral legislature of Japan) to designate a national holiday intending to celebrate the country’s peaks and mountains. After several years of trying, their call has been heeded and finally, by May of 2014, the Mountain Day holiday was officially announced to the public. Although it was not observed right away, it was still a glorious day for the devotees of the nation’s mountains. It was said that the National Diet had passed the bill since having a Mountain Day would also mean an additional income for the country’s tourism industry. Hence, it’s considered a win-win situation for both the government and the Mountain day devotees.
When was the Mountain Day first celebrated?
The Mountain Day had made its debut and was first celebrated on the 11th of August 2016, becoming the newest holiday observed in the country. On the first year of its celebration, according to surveys made by the Japanese Weather Association, only 68% of the Japanese were aware of the newly designated holiday. It would probably take some time for all the Japanese to be made aware of this new holiday.
Why was August 11 chosen as the date to celebrate Mountain Day in Japan?
The month chosen to celebrate the holiday was also August since it was believed that the written kanji of the number eight (which is the numerical representation of the month of August), looks exactly like the sides of a mountain. 11, as the specific date of celebration was likewise chosen since it was said that it also resembles two trees standing side by side. Another reason stated is that many local municipalities situated in the mountainous parts of Japan have already practice its Mountain Day celebration every 11th of August, even before it was officially acknowledged as a national holiday. So, those were primarily the reasons why August 11th was chosen as the date of the holiday’s celebration. Furthermore, although Japan has a ‘Happy Monday System’ (a system wherein several public holidays in Japan would be moved to Mondays, creating a long-day weekend for the Japanese), the date of the holiday was never altered. It had always been celebrated every 11th of August since its establishment, however, if August 11 falls on a Sunday, the next day (Monday) would be considered a holiday as well.
Mountain Day Activities and Traditions in Japan
While Japan has a Marine Day, wherein the people express their gratitude towards the blessings acquired from the oceans by partaking to several water-related events, another day is also designated to celebrate the country’s mountains and peaks. The day is called Mountain Day, another nature-related holiday celebrated in Japan.
Mountain-related activities
Since Mountain Day is only recently established, no traditional ceremonies are associated with it. However, the day is filled with several mountain-related activities observed by many Japanese. Although Japan is one of the most advanced country when it comes to technology, it could not be argued that the country is still home to large mountainous terrains. In fact, 73% of Japan’s geographical area is considered mountainous. Thus, the newly established Mountain Day is somehow a fitting holiday considering how wide the mountainous regions are in the country.
Mountain Climbing
Many of the nation’s peaks and mountains have even gained popularity internationally. Mount Fuji (located at the island of Honshu and one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains) is the perfect example to that. Mt. Fuji is the highest peak in Japan (standing at 3, 776 meters) and is considered as one of the country’s symbol. Hence, during the celebration of Mountain Day, several Japanese would take the special day to hike, trek, or climb Mt. Fuji. Although the said mountain is always visited during other days, some Japanese would like their visit to occur during the celebration of Mountain Day, to make the holiday more special.
Other mountains especially visited during the holiday also include the following:
- The Yatsugatake Mountains (which rivals the beauty of Mt. Fuji and is situated on the border of Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures)
- Mount Kita (which is located in Yamanashi Prefecture and is the second tallest mountain in the country next to Mt. Fuji)
- Mount Hotaka (which is also known as Mt. Hotakadake and is located in Chubu-Sangaku National Park)
- Mount Yari (which is situated in the southern part of Japan’s Hida Mountains)
- Mount Tate (which is located in the south-eastern part of Toyama Prefecture and is one of the country’s Three Holy Mountains)
- Mount Kumotori (which is situated on the boundary of Tokyo, Saitama, and Yamanashi Prefectures)
- Mount Haku (which is known as Mt. Hakusan, can be found on the borders of Gifu and Ishikawa Prefectures and is the last one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains)
Mt. Mitsutoge, Mt. Mitake, Mt. Mito, and Mt. Tsukuba are also other famous mountains visited during the holiday, specially by those people within the Tokyo area since the mentioned mountains are situated near Tokyo.
Biking, camping, and other outdoor activities
Although many Japanese indulge themselves in mountain-related activities such as walking, trekking, hiking, or climbing the mountains accessible to them during the holiday, there are also others who prefer to spend the day on a bike instead. Mountain biking is also popular in Japan during the celebration of Mountain Day. For others who cannot afford to bike, hike, or climb the peaks due to some reasons, they would usually camp out near the base of a mountain instead. Camping gears are expected to have a boost in its sales prior to the holiday or during the day of its celebration. At present, some Japanese treat Mountain Day as just another day to have a day off from work and rest at home. Nevertheless, many others would take it as an opportunity to visit the country’s mountains, spend a day breathing the fresh air brought by the mountainside, and finally, breaking a sweat while enjoying the nature’s breathtaking view.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | August 11 | Sunday | Mountain Day |
| 2025 | August 11 | Monday | Mountain Day |
| 2026 | August 11 | Tuesday | Mountain Day |
| 2027 | August 11 | Wednesday | Mountain Day |
| 2028 | August 11 | Friday | Mountain Day |
| 2029 | August 11 | Saturday | Mountain Day |
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Showa Day | April 29, 2024 |
| Constitution Day | May 03, 2024 |
| Greenery Day | May 04, 2024 |
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