[Dramatic Changes in the Japanese-English Bilingual Labor Market in the US] 15. National Holidays in Japan and the U.S.
Did you know that among developed countries, Japan has the highest number of national holidays?
New Year’s Day, Coming of Age Day, National Foundation Day, the Emperor’s Birthday, Vernal Equinox Day, Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, Children’s Day, Marine Day, Mountain Day, Respect-for-the-Aged Day, Autumnal Equinox Day, Sports Day, Culture Day, and Labor Thanksgiving Day. As of today, that totals 16 days.
On top of that, when a national holiday falls between two other holidays, or between a Sunday and another holiday, the in-between day also becomes a holiday called “Citizen’s Holiday.” That adds even more days off. Marine Day and Mountain Day are relatively new holidays, and personally, it’s hard to see the rationale behind turning these particular days into national holidays.
When you add special breaks such as the New Year’s holiday season and the summer Obon holiday (which are not official national holidays), the total easily exceeds 20 days a year. Compared to the past, when the Japanese were criticized for working too much, the numbers now suggest that the system is much more generous. That said, daily overtime in Japan is probably still far greater than in the U.S.
In Japan, “national holiday = day off” is taken for granted, but that is not the case in the U.S.
In the U.S., the equivalent to national holidays (Federal Holidays) are only the following 11 days: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day (Washington’s Birthday), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and—since 2021—Juneteenth.
Since the U.S. is a federation, each state and religious community may establish its own holidays. For example, in the New York area, where many Jewish people live, schools close for Jewish holidays. In the Midwest, most states observe Easter Monday as a holiday. Columbus Day, once widely treated as a day off, is now more of a cultural celebration for Italian Americans rather than an actual holiday. In Hawaii, Columbus is irrelevant, and instead June 11 is celebrated as King Kamehameha Day, honoring the king who unified the islands. In New York City, although it is not an official holiday, the Chinese New Year is celebrated every year with large-scale events. These are truly scenes unique to America, a melting pot of cultures.
Japan, being an ethnically homogeneous nation, applies holidays nationwide, whereas in the U.S. it varies greatly. Accordingly, company holidays also differ significantly from one organization to another.
By the way, since our company has offices throughout the U.S., we currently designate 13 annual company holidays, including both federal holidays and personal days.
Written by Masato Fujihara, President
Interesse International Group
Came to New York as an expatriate for an HR company in January 1994. Became independent in 1996 and started own business in defiance of return-to-Japan order by the company. Currently, Interesse International Group has 11 locations in the United States and established a Japanese subsidiary in 2022. With 30 years of knowledge and experience in the HR industry, Interesse International Group delivers practical information to clients.
