Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2014
Golden Week represents the alignment of three May holidays with Showa Day on April 29, forming roughly a week of holidays—a rare event in workaholic Japan. It’s also the big week for movie releases.
May 3: Constitution Memorial Day
A day to celebrate the promulgation of Japan’s present constitution in 1947.
May 4: Greenery Day
When former Emperor Showa died in 1989, his birthday (April 29) was converted into Greenery Day. In 2007, Greenery Day was converted into Showa Day, and Greenery Day got bumped over to May 4, which had been a nameless national holiday.
May 5: Children’s Day
Designated a national holiday back in 1948, Children’s Day was originally only for boys, known as Tango no Sekku, and celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar.
