What are Japanese Holidays?

The rush of japanese citizens going to work



Many people might think that there are too many holidays in Japan. However, with the greater hustle and bustle of the Japanese lifestyle, each holiday seems to come just at the right time. Additionally, some would come to the conclusion that the Japanese have more days off because of their many holidays but to the contrary, they have less since many work 6 and 7 days a week. My holidays in Japan have usually been even more busy but for the Japanese, it is usually a time of rest and relaxation. I wouldn’t in the least describe my time spent during the holidays as the typical Japanese holiday, however, there were a few that I spent trying to imitate and understand the stereotypical Japanese holiday.
There are three activities that immediately come to mind especially during this time of year that I think the Japanese love to do. First, the Japanese love to visit their temples. Even if they are not of the Buddhist religion, they still find some kind of draw towards them. My host mother even told me of her friend that spent a couple months travelling around trying to reach the top 100 temples within Honshu Island. I had the opportunity to visit Kyomizudera in Kyoto and noticed multiple junior high and high schools in attendance. Obviously the schools did not see this as a religious activity or have less restrictions and worry about law suits compared to America.


Kin-no-yu Onsen in Arima




The second common activity for Japanese to do during holidays is visit onsen. Just like if you asked an American if they like pizza, if you asked a Japanese person if they like onsen, 100 percent of your answers would be,”Yes.” My first experience with an onsen was most interesting. Things that I thought would be big deal were not and alternatively, things that I didn’t even think about left a big impression on me. For instance, getting naked in a public bath was not a big deal since everyone was doing it. Also, my previous experience with hot springs in the U.S. were in Colorado under pristine wilderness. My onsen experiences both in Kamikouchi and Arima were 180 degrees opposite. While one was even outside, the bath was still incased in concrete rock with a fence enclosing the whole pool. This activity I think suits the Japanese culture in an attempt to balance their normally busy and at times seemingly mindless day to day working lives.
The last activity is the viewing of nature as experienced in the Japanese way. The reason I say this is because it seems like it does not bother the Japanese to view the changing colors of leaves and nature from a paved road and sometimes enclosed in a park with thousands of other people. In one respect, this can be seen as a good thing as it allows more access and with less damage to what nature there is left. However, because of the wet climate, slow changing of seasons from summer to winter and the many maple trees in Japan, the colors can be inspiring.


Viewing of the colors on paved roads