［November 2017］
25- Culture Day and Cultural Festival – A Year of Local Governments in Japan

Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) is a national holiday held annually in Japan on 3 November for the purpose of promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor. The date is the birthday of Emperor Meiji (reign 1867-1912) whose era is called the Meiji Era, which reminds the Japanese people of the start of Japanese modernisation and westernisation.

Japanese local governments hold cultural festivals and events which typically include art exhibitions covering calligraphy, flower arrangement, drawing and tea ceremonies. Parades and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars are also held. Many residents join in on the festivities and enjoy traditional Japanese culture on the day.

Japanese schools and universities also host their own festivals which not only focus on Japanese culture but also serve as an introduction and promotional event for the institutions. This means the event is usually attended not only by current students but also by potential applicants and their guardians who wish to inspect the institution before the entrance examinations (January) and the start of the new school year (April).

Culture Day is also statistically one of the clearest days of the year so we can hold various events without worrying about rain. It is one of the best seasons to visit Japan!

Katsunori Kamibo

Director