Golden Week

Festival Location: All Areas, Japan

Festival Type(s): Cultural Festivals , Traditional Festivals

Golden Week - Green Day, Constitution Day, The People's Holiday, Children's Day

by © Linda Gillis 2008

Golden Week is one of the happiest times in Okinawa. With four holidays occurring within the week, many businesses are closed and schools are out. Those businesses that have to remain open can count on increased revenues as people celebrate the different holidays.

Green Day is the opening act of Golden Week. This holiday was originally celebrated in honor of Emperor Hirohito's birthday. Emperor Hirohito was born April 29, 1901. After his death he was given his posthumous name of Emperor Showa, as is the custom in Japan. The new imperial name means the era of enlightened peace. The emperor died on January 7, 1989 but the Japanese chose to continue to celebrate the day, calling it the Day of Green in reference to Emperor Hirohito's interest in plants and the environment. He was an expert biologist and was the author of 14 books about biology.

The Japanese people revered this most popular emperor for many reasons. Chief among them was that he ended the idea that emperors were divine entities, therefore becoming the first "human" emperor in the history of Japan. His decision to surrender in World War II is credited with saving thousands of lives and saving Japan itself from total annihilation. After the war the emperor worked diligently to bring about true peace and a new prosperity. He is considered one of the greatest Japanese leaders of all time.

The second holiday of Golden Week occurs on May 3rd. This is Constitution Day and is the day set aside for people to remember the postwar constitution and to anticipate the continued growth of Japan.

The People's Holiday, which is celebrated on May 4th, was designated as a national holiday for the sole purpose of giving the people of Japan three consecutive holidays. This is a day off just for the sake of having a long holiday!

May 5th is Children's Day and is also the seasonal festival for boys. People with sons celebrate by flying carp streamers in front of their homes and praying for the health and prosperity of them. They also pray for all their children's happiness. All across the island you will see giant carp streamers, called koinoburi, floating in the wind. These streamers first began to be displayed in the 12th century. The first streamer, usually a large black one, represents the family father; the next is a little smaller, usually red and represents the mother. Smaller streamers of different colors are added for each child. Nowadays, the small streamers don't necessarily represent the number of children in the family, but it is the custom to fly them only after having at least one child. Carp streamers are also on display at many attractions as well. The Okinawa Zoo usually displays hundreds of the streamers for 3 days to symbolize good health and growth to all the children of the island. A wonderful Carp Streamer Festival takes place at Oku in Kunigami Village at the northernmost tip of Okinawa. Another Carp Streamer Festival takes place in Nago at Haneji Okawa which is a river running through the city. The stream is located along Highway 58.

Other symbols and decorations displayed for Children's Day include suits of samurai armor that are often family heirlooms worth a small fortune. The armor is usually displayed in a small alcove off the main room of the house called a tokonoma. This is the most honored place in the home. Bows, arrows, swords, warrior dolls dressed for battle and dolls depicting boys in armor on white horses are also displayed throughout the homes. During the celebration special rice cakes filled with azuki bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves are served. Rice wine with iris petals floating in it is also traditional refreshment. Iris blossoms are often added to the bath water of boys on this day to protect them from evil spirits during the coming year. The iris has long been associated with this holiday for many reasons. They bloom during the festival and their sword shaped leaves are believed to be a lucky charm to keep evil spirits at bay.

Huge crowds can be expected at every attraction on the island during Golden Week. Many tourists come from Mainland Japan to celebrate and locals hold many family picnics and take vacations to spend time with their families. Traffic will be heavy and beaches will be crowded as well. You can expect delays at the airport and on all the highways and expressway.

It's a happy, busy time and even though the delays can be frustrating it is worth the effort to get out and take part in these celebrations and learn about the fascinating culture of Okinawa.

Check out Linda's fantastic site related to all things Okinawan at http://www.okinawaninfo.com

by Linda Gillis

Golden Week Dates and Location

Golden Week is celebrated across Okinawa in the week beginning May 2 each and every year and is made up of four holidays - Green Day, Constitution Day, The People's Holiday and Children's Day.