Golden Week in Japan
Golden Week in Japan is a collection of four national holidays within seven days.April 29 - Showa Day - Birthday of the former Emperor Showa, who died in 1989.
May 3 - Constitution Day - The new post war constitution was put into effect on this day in 1947.
May 4 - Greenery Day - A day dedicated to the environment and nature, because the Emperor Showa loved plants and nature. Before being declared Greenery Day, May 4 used to be a national holiday due to a law which declares a day that falls between two national holidays as a national holiday.
May 5 - Children's Day - The Boy's Festival is celebrated on this day. Families pray for the health and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life.
Golden Week is in full swing in Japan and people are on the move. Going on vacation across Japan or across the world and taking off work for a week. Almost unheard of!!! But this years golden week is longer than usual and people are taking advantage. Even in vacation time the pace is fast.
That is unless you are visiting the country side where you see the farmers flooding the rice fields and planting rice. If you look past the rice field you may see the carp streamers flying from tall poles beside large old farm houses. These huge carp are flown by families where there are boys as the commemorate Boy’s Day, May 5th.
If you stop to watch the farmers you will hear the frogs croaking and the birds singing. If you visit the parks you will see couples or families leisurely strolling around ponds. At a nearby temple you will see the elderly visiting the graves. Japanese culture is in full bloom during Golden Week.
Pray for the Japanese to have open hearts to receive the seeds of the gospel and for those seeds to become fruit which bloom and yeild a rich harvest of souls coming into the kingdom of God!!!
- Lana Oue | Outreach Japan
