10: Respect for the Aged Day ( September 15th )
The origin of this holiday goes back to 1947, when September 15th was proclaimed as Old People’s Day (年寄りの日 Toshoyori no Hi). It was a very popular holiday all across the country and in 1966 the government declared it an official national holiday, naming it Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日 Keiro no Hi). Since the introduction of the Happy Monday System in 2003, which moved a number of national holidays to Mondays creating long weekends, Keiro no Hi was celebrated on the third Monday of September.
Keiro no Hi is a day when one shows respect to elder people of society, celebrates their longevity and prays for their health. People try to gain greater awareness and understanding of welfare issues confronting the elderly, and thinks about how welfare services can be improved.
Respect for the Aged Day is a relatively new holiday and so there are no special customs associated with this day. Often cultural programmes and sport events focusing on the elderly are held throughout the country. School children draw pictures or make handicraft items to present these to their grandparents or residents of nursing homes. Japanese media take the opportunity to make a report on the elderly, highlighting the oldest people in the country.
Japan is one of the countries with the longest life expectancy in the world. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average life expectancy in 2005 was 78.53 years for men and 85.49 years for women, and the 100-and-over population is growing every year. Japan's society is thus aging at a rapid pace, and Respect for the Aged Day could become an increasingly important holiday in the years to come.
