Respect of the Aged Day
National Holiday in Japan
Respect of the Aged Day, or Keiro no Hi, was established as a national holiday in 1966 to express respect for the elders in the community, and to recognise and thank them for their contributions to society and last but not least, celebrate their long lives.
Until 2003, the holiday used to be held on September 15. Since then, Respect for the Aged Day is instead held on the third Monday of September.
To honor the elders, many communities throw parties and offer special gifts to bring even more longevity to their lives.
Japanese media often take the opportunity to feature the older generations, reporting on the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country.
With improvements in healthcare, Japanese people are living longer than ever and the number of people over the age of 100 is expected to reach 32,000 next month.
One in five Japanese are aged 65 or older and Japanese women can expect to live to see their 85th birthday.
In the meantime, the number of children being born in Japan is declining, leaving the country with major concerns over how it will fund healthcare and social security payments in the future with a contracting work force.
Daily Telegraph: 21/09/2007
The holiday traces its origins back to 1947, when Nomatanimura (now Yachiyocho), Hyōgo Prefecture proclaimed September 15 as 'Old Folks' Day'.
Its popularity started to spread nationwide, until in 1966 it reached its present name and status.
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