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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Learn About How Japan's Golden Week Celebrates All Things Green

Golden Week, the annual string of Japanese public holidays, continues to it’s third event with Greenery Day. Greenery Day, or Midori no Hi, is celebrated on May 4th, and staying true to its name, celebrates all things green! In Japanese, "midori" means green and "hi" means day.

The idea for the holiday came after the passing of Emperor Hirohito in January 1989. He was always a lover of nature and spreading environmental awareness was very important to him. He dedicated much of his time during his life to improving the environment, including opening the Imperial Biological Research Institute.

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Originally, Emperor Hirohito’s birthday (April 29th) was referred to as Midori no Hi, after his passing, but the government decided they wanted to continue to honor the Emperor’s birthday as well as Greenery Day. So in 2007, April 29th was once again Showa Day and Greenery Day was moved to May 4th. This way, Japan can honor all of Hirohito’s efforts and accomplishments while still celebrating all things green!

So how does Japan getting into the spirit of Greenery Day? 

In the spirit of Hirohito’s beliefs, the holiday is used to address current environmental issues. There are initiatives to clean up local areas including parks, beaches, and streets. So if you’re walking around Tokyo during this time, be prepared to see hundreds of people sweeping and picking up trash. But this holiday is much more than picking up trash. In addition to awareness, May 4th is also about cerebration. On this day Tokyo hosts dozens of events, such as planting trees, and people flock to the park with their families for some springtime fun. 

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What the Arrival of the Year of the Horse Means For You

The Chinese New Year, beginning January 31st, is one of the most popular and exciting holidays on the Chinese calendar. So what makes it so exciting? Well, besides the festive parties and 15-day-long celebration, what makes the Chinese New Year so exciting and unique is its involvement and correspondence with zodiac signs and animals. Each year welcomes not just a new beginning, but also a new Zodiac animal. And with the arrival of 2014 also comes the arrival of the Year of the Horse. 

So what can you expect for the Year of the Horse? 

The coming of the Year of the Horse predicts much good fortune. It will be a year where your romance and your career will reach a point of harmony and peaceful coexistence, something many of us are happy to learn! The Year of the Horse encourages us to reach out and take advantage of the opportunities that are given to us, instead of letting fear, self-doubt, or lack of motivation get in the way. 

And what about those born during the Year of the Horse? 

If you were born in 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 then your zodiac animal is the horse and this year is your year! So what does this mean for you? 

Foretelling of the Year of the Horse predicts that as a whole, your luck and fortune will fluctuate, don't let knowledge of this upset you- but rather, use it to approach the year with caution, care, and above all, strength. When coming face to face with stressors or challenges, seek help from others and search within yourself to find your strength and motivation. 

 As a Horse, you tend to engage in a little self doubt, often seeking approval or confirmation from others before moving ahead with a project or decision- but let this year be the year you become more confident in your choices. 

2014 is a special year because it is not only the Year of the Horse, but specifically, the Year of the Wood Horse. This is important because in Chinese astrology the "element" of wood increases the philosophy of the sign, deepening and strengthening the positive traits associated with the Horse, including action, optimism, and high energy. 

The Wood Horse is also greatly linked with nature and peace, making the usually restless Horse more calm and stable, increasing your ability as a partner, in the romantic as well as professional sense. 

World Heritage List's Addition of Mount Fuji Calls for Increased Preservation Efforts

Standing at a staggering 12, 389 feet, Mount Fuji, located on the Honshu Island, wins the title as the highest mountain in Japan. Besides it's height, the mountain is also loved and recognized for its impossibly symmetrical peak and breathtakingly beautiful snow caps. Because of this aesthetically pleasing uniqueness, the mountain is often the center of many art pieces and photographs. It is also the destination of thousands of eager tourists from around the world.

In addition to being deemed one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains (alongside Mount Tate and Mount Haku), on June 22 2013, Mount Fuji was also added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site. This recognition has had many positive components to it, such as increased national pride and tourism, but it has also contributed to a rising problem Japan has been dealing with regarding the preservation of the mountain's natural beauty. With the curiosity of thousands of tourists comes a price for the environment, such as mounting trash, poor air quality, and constant "suburban sprawl". 

Though overwhelmingly grateful about the recognition, it is hard for the Japanese people not to feel some concern over whether the popularity this title has sparked will ultimately lead to the destruction of what made a national landmark in the first place. Officials have made countless efforts to improve and maintain the quality of the environment without reducing traffic of tourists. Low-waste toilets have been installed on various points on the mountain, hybrid buses shuttle the visitors to the trails, and thousands of volunteers work to pick up trash left behind by tourists. An additional effort has recently been put in place this summer where climbers are asked to pay a fee, which will all be donated towards the effort to preserve the natural beauty Mount Fuji has to offer. 

When asked about his opinion on the matter, the head of Whole Earth Nature School, Keisuke Tanaka, says that donations should be used to "improve trails and toilets and add

waste treatment facilities and multilingual signs." He also believes the government should step in and begin to limit the number of people allowed to visit the landmark. 

Since making the cut for the World Heritage list, more and more measures are being taken to make sure people are treating this place with respect and care. New guidelines have been released stating that hikers must submit their plans in writing and are required to carry the proper equipment at all times. This is not only to protect the environment, but also to keep people safe!

It is crucial for people to work together towards the preservation of the beautiful nature Mount Fuji and other international landmarks have to offer! 

Japan's Shiraishi Island strives to teach Compassion

On Shiraishi Island, an island in the Inland Sea of Japan, the teaching of compassion for all living things to their children has become a priority. 

The campaign for compassion began when the dean was troubled by the increasing number of students leaving the island to go to the mainland on weekends and swimming in the local pools and the decreasing number of students swimming in the sea, fishing, kayaking, and just spending time playing in nature. 

To begin the movement towards teaching compassion, Amy Chavez was called in to give a speech to the third and fourth year students of Shiraishi Island Elementary School about the nature on Shiraishi Island and having a true appreciation and compassion for everything within nature. 

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She described to the students some of the unique and beautiful sites the island had to offer. She picked the seasons and had the students describe to her what came to mind when when they heard words like "autumn". The students responded with words such as bamboo, chestnuts, figs, and leaves. 

Chavez then taught the students the importance of being in nature and appreciating all it has to offer. She concluded her lesson by having the children each write down what they thought the point of the discussion was. 

Responses included things like "I didn't realize that most people don't see the sun set over the sea in the evenings" and "Shiraishi must be a beautiful place if Amy came all the way from America to live here."  

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Even after Chavez's lessons had concluded, the school is continuing their project for promoting compassion by having the kindergarten students participate in the raising of animals such as rabbits and chickens. Each grade stretching from kindergarten all the way through elementary school has a garden which the children are in charge of growing and maintaining fruits and vegetables.