Japanese Holidays - Greenery Day

On May 4, Japan celebrates a wonderful holiday - Greenery Day. Its name alone puts everyone in a positive mood, and is associated with communication with Mother Nature. Today, most Japanese people do not focus on the origin of this event, as well as its exact date, but simply enjoy it. This is not surprising, because Green Day falls right in the middle of the “golden week” of holidays in Japan. But if you look deeper into history, it turns out that the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun owe this holiday to Emperor Hirohito. His birthday fell on April 29 and was considered a national event, and accordingly was a day off. The emperor was a true admirer of nature. Despite the lack of real power in his hands, Hirohito tried to travel a lot around the country to support the residents who suffered as a result of the Second World War. It is noteworthy that before his arrival, the Japanese always organized tree planting and various spring festivals, in which the ruler personally took part, with great pleasure. And when Hirohito had time, he tried to study marine biology, flora and fauna of Japan, and even published several scientific works on this topic. After his death, as a tribute to the wise emperor, they decided to leave his birthday as a national holiday, but, nevertheless, renamed it Greenery Day. And since 2007, it was decided to move this event to May 4 (April 29 became Seva Day). On this day, many Japanese prefer to spend time with their families and friends in numerous parks, at the sea, and in the mountains. At this time, everywhere is incredibly beautiful. The tradition of planting trees is also preserved; even the emperor himself is involved in this important matter. There are also exciting spring festivals. The Japanese are confident that Greenery Day is the best way to celebrate the splendor of their amazing country.