| Labor Thanksgiving Day | |
|---|---|
| Official name | 勤労感謝の日 (Kinrō Kansha no Hi) |
| Observed by | Japan |
| Type | Public |
| Significance | Commemorates labor and production and giving one another thanks; formerly a harvest festival |
| Celebrations | School children prepare cards or gifts for people in the labor sector to show appreciation. Companies review their accomplishments and congratulate their workers for their dedication. |
| Date | November 23 |
| Next time | 23 November 2025 (2025-11-23) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Niiname-no-Matsuri,Daijosai |
Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日,Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is an annualpublic holiday in Japan celebrated on November 23 of each year,[1] unless that day falls on a Sunday, in which case the holiday is moved to Monday.[2]The law establishing the holiday cites it as an occasion to respectlabor, to celebrate production, and for citizens to give each other thanks.[3]
Labor Thanksgiving Day is the modern name for an ancientharvest festival known asNiiname-sai (新嘗祭; also read asNiiname-sai), celebrating the harvest of theFive Cereals. The classical chronicle theNihon Shoki mentions a harvest ritual having taken place during the reign of the legendaryEmperor Jimmu (660–585 BC), as well as more formalized harvest celebrations during the reign ofEmperor Seinei (480–484 AD). Modern scholars can date the basic forms ofniiname-sai to the time ofEmperor Tenmu (667–686 AD).[4] Traditionally, it celebrated the year's hard work; during theNiiname-sai ceremony, theEmperor would dedicate the year's harvest tokami (spirits), and taste the rice for the first time.[5] The festival was held on the second Day of the Rabbit in the 11th month of each year under thelunar calendar, and was fixed at November 23 when Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873.[6]
During theoccupation of Japan afterWorld War II, theUnited States-led authorities sought to abolish Japanese national holidays rooted in theState Shinto mythology, includingNiiname-sai.[7][8] This led to an official recommendation to the Japanese government (with the practical effect of an order) to replace these holidays with secular ones.[9][10] The Japanese government responded in 1948 by adopting a new national holiday law that renamed the holiday to Labor Thanksgiving Day while keeping the date the same.[11]
May 1 is also celebrated as Labor Day by manytrade unions in Japan,[12] which hold large rallies and marches inTokyo,Osaka andNagoya.[citation needed]
On this day, school children prepare cards or gifts to distribute to police officers, firefighters, hospital staffs, personnel of theJapan Self-Defense Force and theJapan Coast Guard and other people in the labor sector to show appreciation for their contributions to the country.[13] Companies review their accomplishments and congratulate their workers for their dedication.[citation needed] Families get together and have dinner at home on this holiday. In addition, individuals themselves are encouraged to relax and take care of themselves.[14]
The traditionalNiiname-sai festival is still held privately by theImperial House of Japan on Labor Thanksgiving Day.[5][15] It is considered one of the most significant annual rituals by the Emperor, requiring rites to be conducted from 6 PM to 8 PM and from 11 PM to 1 AM in the presence of only two servants.[16] Due to the physical requirements of the rites, EmperorHirohito ceased participation at age 70 and EmperorAkihito shortened his participation in stages from age 75 to age 80.[16] The festival is also celebrated publicly at some Shinto shrines such asSumiyoshi Taisha inOsaka.[11]
TheNagano EbisukoFireworks Festival (長野えびす講煙火大会) is held on Labor Thanksgiving Day and had 400,000 attendees in 2017.[17]
