Are you not familiar with the phrase todofuken? To be more accurate,
spelling according to the rules of Japanese romaji
transcription is as follows - todo:fuken (colon indicates a long
vowel sound). This mysterious expression is none other than the name of the
Japanese system of administrative-territorial division. And todo:fuken
represents the level of prefectures which are major administrative units, so
that is the highest level of administrative-territorial division. Lower level
consists of counties – gun (pronounced like "goon” in
English but shortly), counties of Hokkaido
(shicho:)
and special cities (tokurei shi) which "special” status is determined by particular
ordinances of Japanese Government. Also, there is a municipal level, the
administrative units of which have sufficient and broad autonomy: such units
include prefecture centers, special cities, cities (shi), towns (cho:
or machi),
villages (son or mura), as well as urban areas (ku)
and 23 special districts of Tokyo
(tokubetsu
ku).
The present flag of Japan
is a white cloth with a red circle in the middle, which symbolizes the rising
sun. It is no coincidence that such a symbol has been chosen, and it reminds us
of how they synonymously call Japan
- Land of the Rising Sun. The proportions of the flag are 2:3, and the diameter
of a circle is 3/5 the width of the flag. If we get deep into the symbolism of
the flag of Japan,
it is possible to determine that purity and integrity are expressed with white
background and a red circle means warmness, brightness and sincerity.
The Emperor's Birthday(天皇誕生日
Tenno Tanjobi). It
is the birthdate of the reigning Emperor Akihito who was born on December 23,
1933. This day was set up as a national holiday after Akihito’s ascending the throne in 1989. In the morning the Emperor receives
greetings from the members of the Imperial family, prime minister, Parliament
chairman and councilors. Then a special tea ceremony is held for ambassadors of
different countries. Crowds of Japanese people come to the ImperialPalace
to greet their emperor who appears on the glazed balcony.
Labor Thanksgiving
Day(勤労感謝の日Kinro Kansha no hi). As you can see Kinro
Kansha no hi can be literally translated like "Labor Thanksgiving Day”. The
end of November is the time for completion of agricultural works and excellent
occasion to celebrate rich harvest. This holiday stemmed from Shinto tradition
of thanksgiving to gods by presenting them with cropped food and rice ears. It
is customary for Japanese to thank each other for help and assistance in one or
another field of labor activities.
Culture Day(文化の日Bunka-no-hi). Before 1948 this
holiday was held as the Emperor Birthday to honor the reigning emperor of that
period – Meiji. Then it was renamed into its current name that reflected new views
of political authorities of the country aimed at developing culture in the vein
of freedom and peace ideals. Every year on Culture Day there are about 5
thousand people who receive government awards for contribution to cultural
development. The highest awards are presented by the Emperor himself, lower
awards – by the members of the Cabinet. Foreigners who have made the most
significant contribution to development of relations between their countries
and Japan
or who have been successful in Japanese oriental studies are also honored with
such awards.
Health and Sports Day (体育の日,Taiiku no hi). October 10, 1964 was marked by the opening of the
Olympic Games in Tokyo, the first ever Games
held in Asia. These Games have finally shown
that Japan
recovered economically out of the after-war devastation. In 1966 it was decided
to legalize this date as a public holiday. Usually they conduct various sports
and health activities on that day. And the government put the accent exactly on
physical training, not on professional sports that are financed by private
companies. Though the government makes considerable efforts in preparation for
some major sporting events of the present. The holiday was moved to the second
Monday of October in 2000.
Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日 Shubun-no-hi). In many ways, this holiday is similar to the Vernal Equinox
Day. Autumnal Equinox Day is devoted to seasonal changes, as well as the
veneration of the ancestors' cult. There are some specific events, such as
pumpkin festival when they make various sculptural compositions out of pumpkin.
It is believed that during this period the moon is the most beautiful, so Japanese
are trying to find time for tsukimi - admiring the moon.
Respect-for-the-Aged Day (敬老の日 Keiro no hi). It is
no secret that Japan
ranks first in the terms longevity in the world. No wonder this country has such
a holiday like Respect-for-the-Aged Day. Moreover there is no such a country
where people would respect their elders and particularly aged people so much as
they do it in Japan.
And they say this holiday is one of the most loved and heartwarming among
Japanese. Not without reason is there a proverb in Japan: "Conceive the new upon the
old”.
Marine Day (海の日, Umi no Hi). It is a relatively new holiday and it was called Marine Memorial Day (海の記念日 Umi no Kinen Bi) until 1996 when it became a public national holiday with a fixed date on July 20. As a result of amendments to the Public Holiday Law this holiday has been celebrated on the third Monday of July since 2003. For sure this is a momentous day for those people whose profession is inseparably linked with the sea, but for most Japanese, however, it is an additional holiday they wait as a signal for summer recreation.
Children’s Day (こどもの日 Kodomo no hi). It is the last holiday of the Golden Week. Until 1948 it was being celebrated as Tango no Sekku (端午の節句) – Boy’s Day contrary to Hinamatsuri (雛祭り) – Doll Festival or Girl’s Day. According to an amendment to the Public Holidays Law both holidays were merged into one. Despite this and because of the fact that the holiday was long being celebrated in honor of boys, nowadays in Children’s Day we can easily notice some elements of that ancient holiday.