Celebrate All Things Green During Japan's National Greenery Day

Following Showa Day and Constitution Memorial Day during Japan’s annual Golden Week, a series of national holidays beginning at the end of April, is Greenery Day. As you may have guessed, Greenery Day, celebrated May 4th, stays true to its name and celebrates all things green! The holiday can also be referred to as Midori no Hi, which literally translates to green day. 

The idea for the holiday came about after the passing of Emperor Hirohito, the same emperor honored during Golden Week’s first holiday Showa Day. Emperor Hirohito was a lover of nature and spreading of environmental awareness had always been very important to him. In fact, he dedicated much of his life to this cause and spend a great deal of time looking for ways to improve the environment, including opening the Imperial Biological Research Institute. The beloved Emperor passed in January of 1989 and the people of Japan wanted to find a way to remember him and continue the work that he was passionate about- so what better way than to create a holiday dedicated to nature and the environment! 

Originally, April 29th, which was the Emperor’s birthday, was dubbed Midori no Hi, following his death. However, the Japanese government decided Emperor Hirohito’s birthday should still be celebrated each year despite his passing, so Greenery Day was moved to May 4th and thus Showa Day was born. This way, the country can honor the Emperor’s memory and all his accomplishments on his birthday while still taking a day to celebrate nature and all things green.

Today, Japanese citizens use May 4th as an excuse to flock to their local parks with their families for some springtime fun. Cities, such as Tokyo, host dozens of events such as concerts, parades, and planting trees. The holiday is also used to address current environmental issues and spread awareness. Initiatives are taken to clean up parks, beaches, and streets. So if you are in Japan during this time, especially around Tokyo, expect to see hundreds of people sweeping and picking up trash all over town. 

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Countries in Asia Know How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Too

It might not be the first places you think of- but countries in Asia have some pretty incredible St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Although, there is not a high Irish population throughout Asia, on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish right? The holiday isn’t big everywhere in Asia but there are a few places that really get into the spirit of things and would be a great place to spend the holiday if you’re ever around the area in March!

Seoul, South Korea

It is a fairly recent addition to the list of Korean festivals, but since 2001 the Irish Association of Korea has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with an annual parade that hosts up to 15,000 attendees. It is complete with everything you would expect for a St. Patty’s Day bagpipes, Irish dancing, Celtic music, lots of green, and of course lots of beer! The Koreans love any excuse for a good party!

Tokyo, Japan

This may come as a surprise to you, but the Japanese have celebrated and embraced Irish culture for quite some time, and this includes- of course- St. Patrick’s Day. Each year, Tokyo hosts an amazing parade bringing 30,000 people to the streets to celebrate and several thousand parade participants. And like in Seoul, lots of green, music, food, and alcohol can be expected!

Singapore

Due to it’s strong associations with the British Isles, Singapore also has a connection to Irish heritage and with it, St. Patrick’s Day. In addition to a spectacular parade, Singapore also hosts an annual St. Patrick’s Day Ball. The celebrations stretch over a three day period. First begins the ball on the eve before the big day. Then on the 17th, the streets fill with

green for the parade. And the fun continues on the 18th with street parties outside of local Irish pubs and Irish Festivals.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In previous years, Kuala Lumpur has had parties and festivals that have reached over 8,000 attendees. But Malaysia is making our list because of their public determination to host Asia’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, even making an online pledge to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. And they take it one step further, wanting to make not just the 17th the day of celebrations- but all of March!

KARA Becomes 1st All-Girl Group to Perform at Tokyo Dome [VIDEO}

KARA changed the face of K-pop on the 6th of January by becoming the first Korean all-girl group to perform at the Tokyo Dome. 

Performing a total of 25 songs, the girls included their hits like "Pandora", "Speed Up", "Winter Magic", "Jet Coaster Love", "Pretty Girl", and more. 

To put a unique spin on their show, each KARA member also performed solo. The crowd went crazy when their hit song, "Mister", the song they debuted in Japan with, began to play. 

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The show at the Tokyo Dome was a success for these rising stars. When tickets went on sale, the girls sold out all 45,000 tickets in an astonishing five minutes. The concert an Tokyo was just one of a six part tour in Japan. They started out in Yokohama, then moved on to Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and then finally Tokyo before moving on to their final destination. 

Six cities, twelve performances, and 15,000 fans have been how these girls have kicked off their 2013.  

Click here to watch a their music video to their hit song "Mister" 

Super Cool Bra: Japan's Newest Innovation

Models from underwear maker Triumph International Japan show off the Super Cool Bra at the firm's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday. The cups of the bra, emblazoned with images of fish tanks, are filled with a gel that remains soft and supple even when frozen and keeps the body cool after being left in a freezer for a few hours.

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I am an avid lover of the ocean, being close to the water makes me feel more human. I never thought it was possible to trap this feeling in my underwear, but once again Japan has found a way to make the impossible possible. I mean, not only will this “Super Cool Bra” leave you feeling refreshed all day but I am sure it will add a cup size or two and maybe in the future a little push up? Who knows Japan is so innovative that the next show at the Triumph International Japan will feature the new bra line “Super Cool Live Fish Bra”, very convenient if you like your sushi fresh. 


Written by Desiree Borja, ONCEKids Staff Writer

Lady Gaga Kicks off In Seoul but snubs China?

Lady Gaga's first dates for the The Born This Way Ball Tour are coming up! The first stop on the 110 date tour is Seoul, South Korea next week on April 27th. She arrived yesterday in Seoul a week before her highly anticipated and controversial show. Young Koreans are very excited and the tickets have sold tremendously well. 

To learn more about the author of this article Eileen Wacker and her acclaimed book series,  visit ONCEKids, ONCEKids on Facebook,  ONCEKids on Twitter.

After her kick-off in Seoul. Gaga is headed to Hong Kong on May 2nd. Her Asia tour has several more stops including Tokyo, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines then heading to New Zealand and Australia. Questions have been raised as to why there are no mainland Chinese cities included in Lady Gaga's tour. In fact, her only brush with the Chinese market is Hong Kong on the 2nd. If her tour is avoiding the mainland shores, perhaps it is because her music was deemed "vulgar and inappropriate" by Chinese authorities, along with artists like Katy Perry.  

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Can't wait to hear some of the feedback!  Have fun if you are going.