[ No.5 ]    Japanese National Holiday                    2.5, 2013

　Last Friday, my wife and I went to my mother’s grave in Hiyodorigoe cemetery, Kitaku, Kobe. As my mother was a Christian, her grave is in a church mausoleum. Usually, most Japanese are Buddhist and their grave is a tombstone in their cemetery. Usual religious Japanese visit their family tomb to pray for their ancestors or at their parents’ tomb in the equinoctial weeks of spring and autumn. Spring equinoctial week is from Mar. 18 to Mar. 24 ( 7 days ) and autumn equinoctial week is Sep. 20 to Sep. 26 and each middle day is Japanese national holiday of Vernal Equinox Day and Autumn Equinox Day. In summer Japanese people take a long holiday for Obon from Aug. 13 to Aug 15. It is not a national holiday but most people can take 3 days off. For Japanese, Buddhist tombstone towers ( stupas ) symbolically represent the stage of “satori” ( enlightment ) . In the ancient Indian Sanskrit, stupas ( tower ) means the tower that houses remains of Buddha. It is not a monument just a place to pray. These towers have variety of universal forms sculoled them　symbolizing “Satori, enlightment”. They are avid followers of Budda of that time.

　Come to think of it, Japanese religious holidays account for 2 national holidays. Compared to Japanese national holidays, American holidays are greatly influenced by Christian doctrine.

　My wife and I prayed at my mother’s grave and maybe at Easter time, on Mar. 31 (this year), I will visit my mother’s church mausoleum again. Also someday in spring, I will visit my father’s grave this year. His grave is a Buddist grave in Saga, Kyushu.   　

Digression:

   There are 3 holidays which are related to Japanese Emperor in time.

　　　Day of Showa on May 4                Showa Tenno’s birthday ( Hirohito)

　　　Culture day on Nov.3        　　  　 Meiji Tenno’s birthday ( Mutsuhito )  

　　　Emperor’s Birthday on Dec 23       Kinjo Tenno’s birthday ( Akihito )