What are the famous festivals in Japan? And a brief introduction.

Japan has always admired foreign technology and goods since ancient times, and has actively imported them whenever it felt good, and then "localized" them to make them part of Japanese culture. Japanese festivals are no exception, and most of them are y influenced by China. Most of the festivals in Japan are inherited from the rituals of shrines (temples) in various places, which is why they are called "Matsuri" in Japan. In ancient times, "Matsuri" in Japan was purely an act of praying to the gods for blessings, but today's "Matsuri" is full of entertainment, drama, and commerce. According to statistics, a festival is held almost every day in one area of Japan.

Legal holidays in Japan: Schools, organizations, and businesses are closed on legal national holidays.

New Year's Day: January 1st. According to Japanese custom, before New Year's Eve to clean up, and in front of the door to hang grass rope, inserted tangerines (called "Note Lian rope"), in front of the door to set pine, bamboo, plum (called "door pine", has been replaced by a picture), for good luck. New Year's Eve evening family reunion to eat New Year's Eve noodles, midnight to listen to the "New Year's Eve bells" to observe the New Year. On the morning of New Year's Day, we eat rice cake soup (called "mixed cooking").

Men and women who have reached the age of 20 dress up in traditional costumes to celebrate their coming of age

Adults' Day: Every year on the second Monday of January, Japan celebrates Adults' Day. In Japan, the festival has its roots in the ancient rites of passage for adults, which were influenced by the Chinese "crown rites". The so-called "Crown Ceremony" refers to the ceremony of crowning a man when he comes of age. From the day the crown is placed on the head, the person is recognized by society as an adult. In Japan, the system of crowning was first introduced in the eleventh year of Emperor Tenmu's reign (683 A.D.), modeled on the old rites of our country. According to the ancient Chinese doctrine of yin and yang, the day of the crown is often chosen as an auspicious day for Koshi and Binyin, especially in the first month of the year, and in 1948, the Japanese government stipulated that those who had reached the age of 20 should go through the "Adult Ceremony" according to the folklore in order to make the young people realize that they had already become a full member of the society. All young men and women who have reached the age of 20 on the Day of Adults to wear traditional costumes to participate in the official or civic organizations for them to participate in the ceremony of adulthood, including young people to take the oath, the congratulations of the elders and visit shrines, as well as to participate in a variety of traditional cultural and recreational activities and so on (click on the map to see a larger version).

More than 40% of Japan's 'new adults' are pessimistic about the future

National Foundation Day: February 11th. According to Japanese mythology, Emperor Jimmu united Japan on February 11, 660 BC and established the nation of Japan. The predecessor of "Foundation Day" was "empire day" in Japan before World War II. Before and during the Second World War, the rulers of the time, in order to cultivate the militaristic idea of worshipping the Emperor among the people, made this day a memorial day to commemorate the achievements of the Emperor's ancestors in "establishing" Japan, but in 1948, when the National Holiday Law was enacted, it was rejected. In 1952, when the National Holiday Law was revised, February 11 was renamed "National Foundation Day". Since then, there have been two different viewpoints in Japanese society, one in favor of the holiday and the other against it.

Vernal Equinox: The autumnal equinox on the calendar, which varies from year to year according to the calendar. Celebrates nature and love of living things.

Constitution Memorial Day: May 3. On May 3, 1947, Japan abolished the Meiji Constitution and implemented a new constitution.

Boys' Day (Dragon Boat Festival): May 5th. On this day, families with sons hang "carp flags" in front of their doors to wish boys healthy growth. In Japan, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on May 5 of the solar calendar. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the same day as the Boys' Day, so on this day, calamus leaves are placed on the door of every house, Zhong Kui's picture is hung in the house to drive away ghosts, and the cake (called "Kashiwa Cake") or zongzi (rice dumplings) are eaten to get rid of evil spirits. "Calamus" harmonizes with "Shangwu" and "Carp Flag" indicates that a carp jumps the Dragon Gate. Carp flags are hollow carp made of cloth or silk and are divided into three colors: black, red and blue, with black representing the father, red representing the mother and blue representing the boy, and the number of blue flags representing the number of boys. The Japanese believe that the carp is a symbol of strength and courage and expresses the desire of parents to have their children and grandchildren become brave and strong warriors. This day is designated as a national holiday based on the principle of "respecting the child's personality, seeking the child's happiness, and thanking the mother.

Boys' Day is also the Children's Day in Japan, so both boys and girls can enjoy special blessings and love from their parents on this day.

Sea Day: July 20th. Established in 1941, it has been a national day of remembrance since 1996. Japan is surrounded by the sea, and this day was established to thank for the grace of the sea and to pray for the prosperity of the country as a maritime nation.

Senior Citizens' Day: September 15th. In Japan, people can only celebrate their birthdays when they are 42 years old, which is usually called "Hatsuo" (first old age). At the age of 60 years old, it is called the "return to the calendar". 77 years old for the "happy life", 88 years old for the "rice life", 99 years old for the "white life At the age of 77, it is "Kisu", at the age of 88, it is "Mishu", and at the age of 99, it is "Shirasu", i.e., one less than one hundred characters. Every year on September 15, all parts of Japan carry out activities to honor the elderly, such as medical checkups for the elderly, repairing their houses, presenting them with souvenirs, and organizing sympathy visits. Elderly people will carry out activities that are good for their body and mind according to their hobbies. Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare on this day, but also issued a "long-life list", published in newspapers around the world, and only those who are more than 100 years old can be included in the examination.

Autumnal Equinox: The day of the autumnal equinox on the calendar, which varies from year to year according to the calendar, is the day of the Emperor's autumnal ancestor worship.

Sports Day: 2nd Monday in October. Commemorates the opening of the 18th Olympic Games in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan.

Culture Festival: November 3. Prior to 1945, this day was celebrated as the birthday of the Meiji Emperor. After the war, the theme was "Love of Freedom, Love of Equality, and Promotion of Culture," and on this day, those who have made outstanding contributions to culture are awarded the Order of Culture.

Thanksgiving Day: November 23rd. It is a day to promote hard work, to celebrate the development of production, and to give thanks to each other.

Birthday of the Emperor: December 23rd. On December 23, 1933, Emperor Akihito was born.

Japanese folk festivals:

New Year's Day: January 1st. This day congratulates the arrival of the New Year. The three days from New Year's Day to January 3 are called "Shogetsu" (the first month of the year), and there is no work. On New Year's Day, people visit shrines and friends' homes to pay their respects, drink, and eat the unique New Year's delicacies. Children play Japanese cards, fly kites, and shoot shuttlecocks. On New Year's Day, straw ropes are pulled over doors and pine branches are placed on them, which means that "trees are placed on them to welcome the arrival of the gods". The time for decorating the pine branches is from the 1st to the 7th, and this period is also called "Matsunouchi".

Kamakura Matsuri: This festival is held in February in the Yokote area of Akita Prefecture. On the eve of the festival, children gather in a snowy house called "Kamakura," which is about 2 meters across, to drink sweet wine and eat sweet cakes, and an altar is set up in the middle of the house to worship the god of water. During the two-day Kamakura Festival, visitors are invited into the snow house to enjoy Japanese rice wine and rice cakes (click on the image on the left to see a larger version).

Girl's Day (Ojijin, "Onsai" or "Peach Festival"): March 3rd. This is a festival for Japanese girls. The festival has its origins in the Heian Period (700 years ago). The way it is celebrated today has been passed down from the Edo period. Families with girls offer small dolls (also called "hina-ninjas") to wish the girls good luck and growth. These dolls are expensive, and the parents, especially the grandparents, almost always buy a beautiful set of dolls for the girl. A small set of one layer, more with "doll rack" set up several layers, up to seven or eight layers, and the top layer, mostly an emperor and an empress. Girls get these dolls when they are one year old, and they are put on display on March 3 every year until they are married off.　 Japan celebrates Daughter's Day Daughter's Day dolls

Tanabata (Beggar's Day): On July 7, Altair and Vega, which are separated on the east and west coasts of the Milky Way, can only meet on this day every year. This is a fusion of Chinese legend and ancient Japanese custom; on July 7, people offer corn and eggplants in front of their gardens, tie colorful poetic notes with lyrics and wishes to bamboo poles, and pray that the girls' craftsmanship will be as dexterous as the Weaving Maiden's. In Japan, it is said that the Tanabata Festival is the most important event in the history of Japan. In Japan, the Tanabata Festival is said to have begun in the sixth year of Emperor Shomu's reign. On Tanabata, women play various games together, the most common of which is "begging for money.

Bon: Around August 15th. Obon is the largest traditional festival in Japan, also known as "Soul Festival", "Lantern Festival", "Buddhist All Souls Festival", etc. It was originally a day to pray for the blessing of ancestors, but now it is a festival for the reunion of families and the joy of the village. During Obon, Japanese companies take 7 to 15 days off from work, and people return to their hometowns for reunions. People who live in small towns and villages also dance the Bon Odori in their summer kimono.

Moon-viewing: When the moon is full on the nights of August 15 and September 13 of the lunar calendar, people decorate their doors and windows with wheat awns and make offerings of sake and dumplings to the moon god, praying for a smooth and beautiful autumn.

彼岸：The seven-day period before and after the spring and fall equinoxes. During this period, offerings are made to the spirits of deceased ancestors, Buddhist ceremonies are held, and visits are made to sweep graves.

Shichigosan: Shichigosan is a unique festival in Japan. Every November 15, boys aged 3 and 5, and girls aged 3 and 7 put on brightly colored kimonos and visit shrines to pray that the gods will bless them with smooth sailing on their paths of growth. This custom is said to have begun in the middle of the Edo period. On this day, the children eat "azuki bean rice" and "chitose," a red or white stick-shaped candy made to celebrate "Shichigosan," in the hope that the children will be lively and healthy and will live a long life. It is hoped that children will be healthy and live forever. In ancient times, the Japanese regarded odd numbers as auspicious, with "seventy-five-three" being the least taboo number (in contrast to four and nine, which are the most taboo numbers for the Japanese).

New Year's Eve: On the night of December 31, people listen to the 108 bells of the New Year's Eve bells from the temples while eating soba noodles. It symbolizes people's prayers for happiness and may it last as long as the soba noodles.

In addition, there are many other festivals and anniversaries in Japan:

Northern Territories Day: February 7. On February 7, 1855, Japan and Russia concluded the Treaty of Shimoda, which stipulated that the four northern islands would be Japanese territory. On January 6, 1981, the Japanese government officially decided at a cabinet meeting to designate February 7 as "Northern Territories Day" to promote the campaign to recover the northern territories.

Bikini Day: March 1, 1954, the United States in the Bikini Island over the explosion of hydrogen bombs, killing more than twenty Japanese crew members. The Japanese people hold activities on this day every year to oppose the U.S. policy of aggression and nuclear war.

Entrance Ceremony: In Japan, the new school year in schools, the entrance ceremony for young children, and the welcoming of newcomers in companies are all held in April when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. To the Japanese, it is taken for granted that everything begins this way.

Takayama Festival: April 14th and 15th. Takayama Matsuri is an annual festival held in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, to honor Hie Shrine, the "god of earth production. The festival is held on the streets of Takayama City, and floats organized by the city's various communities parade through the city.

Summer Festival: Tens of thousands of people celebrate the three-day summer festival in Asakusa, Tokyo, to welcome the arrival of summer (left).

Mount Fuji "Opening" Day: July 1st. This is the start of the climbing season every year.

Kyoto "Omonogatari" Fire Festival: August 16th. This is a bon festival held at Kisaragatake (also known as Mt. Omonji) in the eastern suburbs of Kyoto City. In the center of the mountain, there are 75 firebeds forming the "Oaza" character, in which wood is loosened and firewood is chopped, and the fires are started simultaneously around 8 o'clock in the evening. The first stroke of the character "大" is 73 meters long, the second stroke is 146 meters long, and the third stroke is 124 meters long. According to the legend, when a fire broke out in Daesa Temple at the foot of Ruyi-yak Mountain, Amitabha Rulai Buddha, the main Buddha of the temple, ascended to the top of the mountain and emitted rays of light that illuminated the four directions. Since then, the "Fire Festival" has been held every year to commemorate the spirit of Amitabha Rulai.

Disaster Prevention Day: September 1st. After the Great Kanto Earthquake in Japan, disaster prevention training or drills of different scales are held on September 1 every year.

Toilet Day: November 10th. Japan Toilet Association in January 1986 in the "First Toilet Symposium" decided every year on November 10 as "Toilet Day".

Toilet Day: November 10th.