Japanese National Holiday: Health Sports Day

October 10 is a National Holiday here in Japan (which means I don't have work. . . ha ha). The purpose of Health-Sports Day is to make the nation aware of physical and mental health and fitness. It commemorates the 1964 Olympics held in Japan on Oct. 10, the first Olympics held on Asian soil.


October 10 was chosen by meteorologists, because it traditionally is sunny and not subject to typhoons, or rainy weather like autumn in Japan often is. Unfortunately it was rainy and drizzly all day.

Many school have athletic competitions and tournaments on this day. Even before Health-Sports Day was created in 1966, schools and even some businesses had traditional sports days, similar to American elementary schools' field day, in spring and fall.