Japanese calendar facts for kids

Jōkyō calendar published in 1729. Exhibit in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan

Japanese calendar types have included several of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar and also the Japanese era name system.

History

The lunisolar Chinese calendar was introduced to Japan via Korea in the middle of the sixth century. After that, Japan calculated its calendar using various Chinese calendar procedures, and from 1685, using Japanese variations of the Chinese procedures. But in 1873, as part of Japan's Meiji period modernization, a calendar based on the solar Gregorian calendar was introduced. In Japan today, the old Chinese calendar is virtually ignored; celebrations of the Lunar New Year are thus limited to Chinese and other Asian immigrant communities.

Annual holidays in Japan's calendar

The Japanese calendar has yearly holidays and traditional events. Some of these preserve ancient customs.

Flags decorated like koi fish (koinobori) are common on Children's Day

This mural on the wall of subway station in Tokyo celebrates Hazuki, the eighth month

The names and dates of some of Japan's national holidays have changed over time.

Related pages

• Japanese Imperial year
• Japanese era names

Images for kids

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  Japanese Calendar (woodcut, 1867)

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  Briefly Abridged Calendar of 1873

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  Calendar for 1907

See also

In Spanish: Calendario japonés para niños