Modern Japan cannot be imagined without the Meiji period, and the Meiji period cannot be told without mentioning Emperor Meiji (November 3, 1852 — July 30, 1912, 122nd Emperor of Japan). Culture Day (Japanese. the 文いの日, Bunka-no Hi) coincides with his birthday and is a public holiday.
The «Meiji» Celebration Day, established in 1927 and celebrated annually on November 3, symbolized the birthday celebration of Emperor Meiji, the reforming ruler. In 1948, a day under this name was abolished, and the «National Holidays Act» established «Culture Day». The ideological meaning of the new holiday was determined by the same law: «Love freedom and peace, promote the development of culture». Thus, the name of Emperor Meiji disappeared from the name of the holiday, but there is no doubt that it was during the Meiji period that the «cultural revolution» took place in Japan.
Culture Day — is also a national day off, allowing the Japanese to spend time profitably for their minds and souls. The ancient capitals of Japan Kyoto and Nara, sea and mountain resorts, national parks and hot springs, which do not lack tourists on other days, are ready for pilgrimage for vacationing Japanese and foreigners on Culture Day. Many museums, exhibition halls and art galleries provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy cultural property for free.
Traditionally, on Culture Day, awards and prizes are awarded for services to literature, poetry, and painting. The merits of young writers are especially noted, thus contributing to the development and popularization of literature among young people.
Culture Day today is impossible without cultural festivals held at universities throughout Japan. Great cultural tradition!
Students prepare for the «cultural week» very seriously: they invite famous and fashionable musicians, writers, and designers among young people; amateur university orchestras and student rock bands rehearse demonstration programs; Awnings are installed on campus that will sell food, drinks, souvenirs, and university symbols.
The «cultural week» itself is very lively, there are almost no classes these days, and the campus is open to local residents, children, parents and friends. It is interesting that foreign students certainly participate in the festival, representing the culture of their country, its national cuisine, clothing, and music. The festive fun flares up in the evening to the sounds of a student orchestra or an amateur rock or jazz group.
Of course, on Culture Day, on the streets, parks, and historical places of Japan you can admire women and girls in national clothes — kimono. A woman in a kimono — is a centuries-old cultural tradition in Japan, which is not influenced by either the passage of time or the variability of the modern world.