#22 Japan’s National Foundation Day – Japan’s Public Holiday
This is the second article in my series introducing Japan’s 16 public holidays. Last time, I wrote about Coming of Age Day, which takes place on the second Monday of January.
This time, I’ll be talking about National Foundation Day on 11th February . Many countries have holidays that celebrate their founding or independence and Japan is no exception. Do you remember learning in school about the history behind your own country’s special day: how it came about, and why it’s celebrated on that particular date? Today, let’s take a look at Japan’s National Foundation Day.🇯🇵
National Foundation Day — A Day to Reflect on Japan’s Beginnings
1. What Is National Foundation Day?
Every year on 11 February, Japan marks a public holiday called National Foundation Day. According to the Japanese government’s website, it is a day for people to “remember the founding of the nation and cultivate a love for their country.”
Japan is said to have one of the world’s oldest continuous lines of imperial succession. In fact, the present Emperor is the 126th in line. However, no one knows for sure when the very first Emperor actually began his reign. Historians have offered various theories—some say it could have been around the 1st century, while others suggest about the 6th century. By contrast, the Japanese government’s official view is 660 BCE. That’s quite a long time ago, isn’t it?
2. Why 11th February?
A key point here is how the government determines the “founding date” of Japan. The official view holds that the first day of the old lunar new year in 660 BCE marks the country’s origin. By converting that date to the modern solar calendar, 11 February is considered the equivalent date.
I’ve included a link below to the English version of the government’s website and a PDF of the imperial family tree. It shows the lineage of the Emperors, with “660 BCE” clearly written next to Emperor Jinmu, said to be the very first Emperor. The chart is so extensive, it’s a bit hard to take in at once, quite impressive, really‼️
https://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/genealogy/pdf/keizu-e.pdf
3. So, What Is Japan’s Founding Story?
It may be hard to believe, but ancient Japanese texts actually record stories about the history of the Emperors. According to these sources, a king with “divine blood” travelled east from southern Kyushu and became the first Emperor in what is now Nara Prefecture. In other words, he supposedly conquered various regions along the way and made the Kansai area his stronghold, which is passed down as the origin of “Japan’s founding.”
Because these tales include many mythological elements, historians cannot verify them all. Even so, they have been told for centuries as the beginning of a very long imperial lineage. Interestingly, these ancient texts feature names like Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Yamatotakeru—characters you might recognise from manga or video games! If you’re curious, it might be fun to look them up.
A Quirky Point About the Japanese Name for “Foundation Day”
Here’s a slightly formal trivia fact for you: in Japanese, Foundation Day is not written simply as 建国記念日 (Kenkoku Kinenbi), but rather 建国記念の日 (Kenkoku Kinen "no" Hi). Normally, other countries’ foundation days are referred to as 建国記念日 in Japanese, but Japan deliberately adds the particle “の.” Can you sense the difference? It’s a subtle nuance in the language.
The reason is that the government did not want to treat a specific date as absolute, unshakable historical fact. Instead, it wanted to create a day for thinking about the concept of nation-building itself. In many countries, records of their founding or independence are relatively recent, making it easy to pinpoint the exact day. However, Japan’s origin stories date back so far that there is no definitive proof for a single date. By adding “の,” the Japanese name suggests that the holiday celebrates the idea of founding, rather than the date itself. It’s a small linguistic detail, but it’s quite fascinating once you notice it! ✨
What Do People in Japan Do on National Foundation Day?
In short, not very much. Most people simply enjoy having the day off! On 11 February, you might see small ceremonies at some shrines or around the Imperial Palace, but there are generally no large-scale parades or major events throughout the country. For many, it’s just a holiday to spend time with family or go out for a little trip.
Compared with the colourful parades and fireworks of Singapore’s National Day, Japan’s observance is rather quiet. In fact, this calm style of celebration seems to be part of Japan’s character, just think of how the New Year is marked quietly here, whereas fireworks are common across much of the world. It’s another unique aspect of Japanese culture, don’t you think?🤔
Summary
So, what do you think? Writing this article prompted me to do a bit of extra research on National Foundation Day, which I might never have done otherwise. If it weren’t for this, I probably would have treated it as just another public holiday without much thought. Perhaps Japan is a rather unusual country, in that the government doesn’t make a big show of celebrating its founding. How about in your country? Is your foundation or independence day celebrated in a grand style, or is it simply treated like any other holiday, as in Japan? I’d love to hear what it’s like where you’re from.
Thank you for reading!