Is There Thanksgiving in Japan?

 

Around this time of year, many Americans are preparing for the Thanksgiving season. Many of us can relate to memories of fallen leaves, preparing meals, and meeting with our families. Of course, Thanksgiving as we know it is a distinctly American Holiday, having originated from the history of the relationship between America’s native inhabitants and its first old world settlers. 

That being said, you may have noticed that some Thanksgiving traditions are similar to those of other holidays around the world that are celebrated in fall. Indeed, because the Autumn months are almost universally considered a time of harvest, it stands to reason that traditions involving feasts and the expression of gratitude have arisen independently in many different cultures. As you might expect, the culture that we will be taking a closer look at today will be Japan. 

If you are familiar with Japanese culture, you may already know that many special occasions there are celebrated with a festival, or Matsuri. These events, often centered around local temples or monasteries, vary depending on the occasion, but are always lively. Parades, floats, food and entertainment are all provided, and these events tend to attract large crowds of people.

Harvest festivals, known as Aki Matsuri, usually take place in late summer or early fall. In addition to the usual celebrations, these events are focussed on expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest, primarily of grains like wheat and rice. As such, many people celebrate by eating buckwheat soba, and other foods related to the harvest. In addition, there is a religious aspect to these festivals. Floats representing Shinto Kami, or gods, are paraded through these streets, and people give thanks to these spirits for granting them their crops.

While these fall festivals are usually organized on a local level, with no fixed date, there are more widespread traditions in Japan this time of year. One can draw comparisons between American Thanksgiving and Japan’s Labor Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday that takes place on November 23. However, despite the similarity of the dates and names, this holiday is devoted to giving thanks to Japanese workers, meaning it arguably has more in common with America’s Labor Day.

However, Labor Thanksgiving Day actually has its origins in an older Japanese tradition. Niiname-no-Matsuri, also known as Niiname-sai, is a ritual that is practiced by the Japanese Emperor in the imperial palace. Rooted in Shinto tradition, the Emperor offers a prayer in thanks for the year’s harvest, and prayers for another successful harvest in the year to come. While the date of this ceremony was original based on the Lunar calendar, it was set to the 23rd in the Meiji era, and later coincided with Labor Thanksgiving day in 1948.

While most of these celebrations take place only in Japan, Japanese migrants have brought some of these traditions with them. In many countries, including England and America, Japanese communities in major cities will host an Aki Matsuri open to the public, where their friends and neighbors can experience a Japanese harvest festival in person. If you want to learn more about the Japanese equivalent of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to find out if a city near you will be hosting an Aki Matsuri.