This coming week, Japan will be celebrating the annual keiro no hi (敬老の日) which literally means, “day to respect the aged”. This used to be celebrated on September 15th, but due to the “Happy Monday” policy coming into effect in Japan in 2003 when many of the bank holidays were made flexible to coincide with the closest Monday, it’s now celebrated on the third Monday of each September. What’s more, the one week following the day is referred to as the 老人週間 (rojin shukan; week for the elderly), when people are urged to be extra respectful to their elders.
The theme of the day is to thank old people for the years of service they have provided, thank them for their wisdom, and to wish them a long and happy life ahead.
Many countries around the world have similar days – Grandparents Day in the U.S, England, France, Italy, Taiwan, Poland and a similar “respect the old” day in China and Korea, though apparently not many people even know of its existence in many of these countries. Japan is unique in having this day as an actual national holiday. There are a total of 15 bank holidays a year in Japan, referred to as shukujitsu (祝日) – which literally means “celebratory days” – and Keiro no hi is one of these, demonstrating the big part it plays in the heart of the nation.
There are two main theories about the origin of this day of respect. One is that in around 593 A.D, one of the four Shikain (imperial institutions) built under Prince Shotoku (聖徳太子), which was built to support the elderly, was founded on September 15. The other theory is based on a story about a boy who lived with an elderly, alcoholic father. In short, the boy was a poor wood cutter unable to provide his father enough liquor. One day, he fell in the mountains and rolled into a valley. He found the river through the valley was of sweet liquor! He took this home to his father, who was impressed with the flavor. After that, he brought the liquid back to his father every day and made him a happy man. Apparently on 20th September, 717 A.D, the reigning emperor visited this place and declared it a national holiday.
In practical terms, on the third Monday of every September, many shops offer freebies and discounts for the elderly. Hotels and tourist attractions provide discounts for families who bring the elderly with them. (That’s right – your grandparents become living group discount coupons!) A recent survey revealed that 6% of people send a gift to an elderly person they know valued at over 10,000 yen, and 53% spend between 3,000 and 5,000 yen. This is a large amount considering the Japanese are typically restrained with their spending. There is even a gift that is given from the government to those who turn 100. In 2017, there were 67,824 people aged over 100 nationwide, with 32,097 turning 100 during the year.
There is a strong sense of age equating to wisdom in Japan, as with many Eastern cultures. There is also an association between wealth and happiness in retirement. Obasuteyama is a famous fable in which there’s a ruler who hates old people. Anyone over a certain age was to be banished. There is a man who loved his mother and so hid her. There are many versions of the story but the gist of it is that the grandma, with her years of wisdom showed the lord the error of his ways, and he revoked the law. The tale of Obasuteyama, which literally means “the mountain to dump your granny”, lives on in all sorts of forms and always with the implication that to disrespect the elderly in any way is a sign of being poor, unintelligent, and unsuccessful.
Being able to provide for your elderly relatives is a sign of success and prosperity. Having come through the tough post-war era and the boom of the 80s without having lost this tradition is a huge morale-boost, not only for the elderly, but the whole nation. With Japan’s exponentially ageing population and depopulation, though, there may soon be more “old” people than young. Perhaps it will be the young who will need to be celebrated before long!
