| Children's Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | 子供の日 (Kodomo no hi) |
| Observed by | Japan |
| Type | Public |
| Significance | Celebrates children's personalities and their happiness |
| Celebrations | A public holiday in Japan |
| Observances | It was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government in 1948, but has been a day of celebration in Japan since ancient times |
| Date | May 5 |
| Next time | 5 May 2026 (2026-05-05) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Golden Week (Japan),Tango no Sekku,Duanwu Festival,Dano Festival,Tết Đoan Ngọ |
Children's Day (こどもの日,Kodomo no hi) is apublic holiday in Japan which takes place annually on May 5 and is the final celebration inGolden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness. It was designated anational holiday by the Japanese government in 1948, but has been a day of celebration in Japan since ancient times.[2][3]
Children's Day has officially been a day to wish for the happiness of both male and female children since 1948,[2][3] but its origin,Tango no Sekku, was a day for boys from the Kamakura period in the 12th century to the mid-20th century, and the customs of Children's Day still retain vestiges from that time.[4]
The day was originally calledTango no sekku (端午の節句) – one of thefive annual ceremonies held at the imperial court – and was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon in theLunisolar calendar.
Tango no Sekku was originally a day for women to purify the house by thatching the roof withirises, which were believed to be effective in repelling evil spirits, and for women to rest their bodies, but it was changed to a day for boys in theKamakura period (1185–1333) when thesamurai class took control of the government. The reason for this was that the iris was a plant that represented the samurai because its leaves were shaped like the blade of aJapanese sword, and the wordshōbu (尚武), which means "to value military affairs", had the same pronunciation as iris (菖蒲) and was therefore considered an auspicious plant for the samurai. Since this period,yabusame (Japanese horseback archery) was held on May 5 as a way to ward off evil spirits.[4][5][6][7][8]
The custom of displaying miniJapanese armor andkabuto (helmets) on Children's Day, calledGogatsu Ningyo (May doll), has its origins in the Kamakura toMuromachi periods (1333–1573). Samurai used to take their armor,kabuto, and Japanese swords out of their storage boxes in May before therainy season to take care of them. Since this was the time of theTango no Sekku, they began to display armor,kabuto, and Japanese swords in the hope of protecting their children.[4][5]
During theEdo period (1603–1867),Tango no Sekku celebrations became extravagant, and samurai households began to display samurai dolls (Musha Ningyo, 武者人形) in addition to real armor,kabuto, and Japanese swords. Ordinary households began to display paperkabuto. The custom of bathing in the bathtub with irises on May 5 began in this period.[4][5]
The custom of decoratingkoinobori (carp streamers) on Children's Day originated in the Edo period (1603–1867). During the Edo period, samurai households began to decorate their yards withnobori orfukinuke (吹貫) flags, which were colored withmon (family crests) to represent military units, duringTango no Sekku. Thenobori andfukinuke were then merged, and the firstkoinobori appeared inEdo (nowTokyo). The colorfulkoinobori as we know them today became popular from theMeiji era (1868–1912).[4][5]
After Japan switched to theGregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5.[9] Until 1948, Children's Day was known asBoys' Day (also known asFeast of Banners), celebratingboys and recognizing fathers, as the counterpart toHinamatsuri, or "Girl's Day" onMarch 3. In 1948, the name was changed to Children's Day to include both male and female children, as well as recognizing mothers along with fathers and family qualities of unity.[2][3]
In theShowa era (1926–1989), the popularity shifted from samurai dolls to miniature armor, and since the 21st century, miniaturekabuto have become popular, probably due to the size of Japanese homes.[4][5]
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On this day, families raise thekoinobori,carp-shaped windsock (because ofthe Chinese legend that a carp that swims upstream becomes adragon and flies to Heaven,[10] and the resemblance of the wavingwindsock to swimming fish), with a black carp for the father, a red or pink for the mother, and one carp (usually blue, and sometimes green and orange too) for each child. Traditionally, when celebrated as Boys' Day, the redkoinobori was for the eldest son with blue and additional colors for younger brothers.
In modern times, Japanese families usually display miniature Japanese armor andkabuto calledGogatsu Ningyo (May doll) on Children's Day. These dolls are usually made in the style ofō-yoroi ordō-maru popular in theHeian (794–1185) and Kamakura periods (1185–1333), which is more showy in appearance than thetōsei gusoku style armor of theSengoku period. There are alsokabuto made to fit the size of a boy's head that can actually be worn. The formalGogatsu Ningyo is displayed on a tiered shelf with ayumi (bow),tachi (long sword),Japanese war fan, andjingasa (samurai hats).[4][5]
Until the Edo period, samurai dolls were more common than miniature armor andkabuto, and the Japanese folk heroesMomotarō,Kintarō,Ushiwakamaru,Benkei,Emperor Jinmu, andShoki were often chosen as subjects.[4][5]
Kashiwa mochi (sticky rice cakes filled withred bean jam and wrapped inoak leaves) andchimaki (sticky sweet rice wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf) are traditionally served on this day.[3][11] The oak leaf used forkashiwa mochi is said to be a tree whose old leaves do not fall off until new leaves appear, and is considered a good-luck charm representing prosperity of offspring.[4]
Since irises are believed to have medicinal properties and to ward off evil, they are used for various purposes on May 5. For example, people would take a bath with irises in the bathtub, soak thinly sliced iris roots or leaves insake and drink it, or put irises in thinwashi (Japanese traditional paper) before putting it in their pillows and going to bed.[4][5][8]
