Culture Day

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Culture Day (“Bunka no hi”), celebrated in Japan on November 3, is a day to respect Japanese culture, arts, history, and its traditions—as well as to promote freedom and peace. Culture Day takes place on the same day the post-WWII Constitution of Japan was announced in 1946, and was made a national public holiday in 1948. It also takes place during Education and Culture Week in Japan, in which Japanese schools and institutions promote the benefits of education. Culture Day is also connected to Emperor Meiji, who ruled between 1867 and 1912 and whose birthday became a national holiday in 1927 (called “Meiji Setsu”) before its transformation to Culture Day in 1948.

To commemorate Culture Day, the city of Hakone hosts a large parade called the Procession of the Feudal Lord, a reenactment of the processions of feudal lords forced to visit Edo during the Tokugawa reign between 1603 to 1868. At the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, martial arts demonstrations are performed, with the opportunity for visitors to participate in traditional horseback archery. At the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the Order of Culture Award Ceremony is held. There, the Emperor grants candidates that have contributed to the advancement of Japan’s culture a badge of honor.

Those who don’t attend an official event or ceremony may spend time at home working on origami, helping children with arts and crafts or a science project, or watching Culture Day events on TV. Others may choose to visit local museums—all of which provide free admittance on the holiday.

How to prepare:

Our offices will be closed for the Culture Day on [insert date]. Please make sure to turn on your out-of-office message prior to the holiday.

How we’re celebrating Culture Day at [company.name]

Culture Day is a holiday that celebrates Japanese culture. In honor of the holiday, please join us for our upcoming Culture Day events:

• [Insert event]
• [Insert event]
• [Insert event]