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July
2016 / 07 / 18

Marine Day (Japan)

Established in 1996, Marine Day, or “Umi no hi”, is a relatively new holiday in Japan. It was originally declared as July 20th, but with the revision of the Holiday Law, the holiday was changed to the third Monday of July. The Holiday Law defines Marine Day as a day “to be grateful for the blessings of the ocean and wish for the prosperity of the maritime nation of Japan.” Marine Day is based on Marine Memorial Day, established in 1941 to commemorate the return of Meiji Emperor Mutsuhito to Yokohama Port after a visit to the northeast area of Japan on the steamboat Meiji Maru in 1876.

As it is a modern holiday, there are no particular traditional ceremonies associated with the day. However, in celebration of Marine Day all the national aquariums organize special events, water sports competitions, water shows, and cultural activities relating to the sea take place. Many people take advantage of this summer holiday to have a rather fitting day out at the beach.

Source: Cross Currents Office Holidays