Keiro no Hi (敬老の日) – Respect for the Elderly Day
It is a national holiday in Japan, the date aims to remind young people of the importance of respecting and caring for their elders. This holiday has been celebrated in Japan since 1966 and since 2003 it has always occurred on the third Monday in September.
Japan has the highest number of people over 100 years old in the world. One in four people in Japan is 65 years of age or older. It is the country with the largest concentration of elderly people in the world and, therefore, this date is very significant and of extreme importance to the Japanese people. In Japan, life expectancy is around 85 years of age for women and 78 years of age for men. This is considered a high average by world standards.
- The Elderly’s First Day
The first Senior Citizens’ Day (Keiro no Hi), known as Toshiyori no Hi (Elders’ Day), was celebrated on September 15, 1947 in the village of Nomadani (later Yachiyo-cho, now Taka-cho) in the capital city of Hyogo. The event was such a success that the local government decided to celebrate it every year, and over time, its popularity spread to neighboring towns, which began to hold their own Toshiyori no Hi.
Two decades after its inception in 1966, the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, faced with the enormous popularity and importance of the festival, declared Keiro no Hi an official holiday in which families throughout Japan express their respect for their elderly citizens, whether they are family, friends or acquaintances in general. In 2003, the holiday was moved to the third Monday in September, thus creating long weekends that allow citizens to travel to their families to celebrate.
- Celebration
To thank the elderly, there are several events that take place throughout the country. Kindergarten children or sometimes elementary school children put on a show and give gifts to their grandmothers, while some municipalities host a meal or organize a ceremony in their honor. Television stations run programs dedicated to the elderly, such as reports and interviews with centenarians, and reveal the latest statistics on the aging population. And starting in 1963, the Japanese government began giving a commemorative silver cup to Japanese people who reached the age of 100, but as the numbers grew, the government decided to reduce the size of the cup to cut costs in 2009. By 2014, 29,357 people had received a cup. The increased cost of this has led the government to consider making the cups out of a different material or simply sending a letter.
- População de idosos
The number of people over 65 reached a record 35.14 million, making up a maximum of 27.3% of the country’s total population, according to research released by the government.
Another impressive number in Japan is the population of centenarians, which increased for the 46th consecutive year in Japan and broke a new record, surpassing the incredible mark of 65 thousand citizens aged 100 and over.
National Holiday: September 16, Elderly Day.