Sports Day

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Sports Day (“Taiiku no hi”) in Japan is celebrated on the second Monday of October. The Japanese government first established Sports Day (then called Health and Sports Day) in 1964 to commemorate the 1964 Olympics, which were held in Tokyo. Two years later, Health and Sports Day was declared a national holiday celebrated on October 10—though its date was shifted to the second Monday of October in 2000.

On Sports Day (as the holiday was renamed in 2020), many businesses and organizations host sporting events, festivals, and games, with schools often hosting a field day (“undoukai “)—all with the aim of promoting exercise, fitness, and good health. These include Olympic-style sports like races and relays, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts, tug-of-war, and other activities. Generally, teams earn awards for participation, with a focus on team-building and working together over winning. Some organizations may even host health assessments for adults to learn more about their own well-being and the importance of exercise.

In Japan, Sports Day participants often eat healthy foods, like takoyaki, a snack made from a ball of dough mixed with bits of seafood, or edamame, a boiled or steamed soybean sprinkled with salt.

How to prepare:

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

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

Sports Day is all about being healthy and active. Here at [company.name], we’re hosting a few events to help promote health and fitness, including:

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