Shubun-no-hi occurs around September 23 and is a national holiday. The week in which Shubun-no-hi is the middle day is called the autumn equinoctial week, during which memorial services take place at temples and people visit graves to comfort the spirits of their ancestors.
On this day, like on the Vernal Equinox Day, the length of day and night is the same. This period is a boundary marking the end of the summer heat and the coming of fall.
October 10 is Taiiku-no-hi. It is to commemorate the opening of the Tokyo Olympics on October 10, 1964, and since 1966 it has been a national holiday. Its purpose is to familiarize with sports and nurture physical and mental health. Sports flourish in autumn because the weather is good, but, especially on taiiku-no-hi, numerous school and regional athletic meets and sports tourneys are held.
Bunka-no-hi is November 3. Originally, it was for observing the birthday of the Meiji Emperor, but now it is a national holiday dedicated to "the love of freedom and peace and the promotion of culture." On this day, along with cultural and art festivals held by each school and regional society, the government confers cultural service awards on individuals who have contributed to Japanese culture. In particular, the Imperial Palace confers the Order of Cultural Merits on people who have rendered special service for the development of Japanese culture.
This is an event occurring on November 15, when prayers are offered for children's growth. Because odd numbers are auspicious in Japan, the odd numbered years of this important period of a child's growth--that is, the ages of three and five for boys, three and seven for girls--are celebrated. On this day, children dress up in their gala dresses and go with their parents to a Shinto shrine to pay a visit to the tutelary deity. Children are given thousand-year candy(chitose-ame), which is long, thin, red and white candy in bags with crane and turtle illustrations. Chitose means "one thousand years" and in Japan both the crane and the turtle are symbols of long life. Also, red and white are an auspicious color combination for the Japanese. All these indicate the wish for children's health and growth.
November 23rd is kinro-kansha-no-hi. In 1948, it was designated a national holiday "for the people to honor labor, celebrate manufacturing and give thanks to one another." From ancient times, this day has been an observance known as the Shinto Harvest Festival, carried out at the imperial court. For this, the Emperor dedicates that year's new rice to the gods and tastes it for the first time. This observance is held still today in the Imperial Household.
This is a national holiday "to celebrate the birth of the Emperor,"who is a symbol of Japan and a symbol of the unity of the Japanese people. Since the first year of the Heisei Period(1989), it occurs on December 23rd, the current Emperor's birthday. The day is marked by banquets at the Imperial Palace, to which Cabinet ministers are invited, and tea ceremonies to which foreign ambassadors and officials are invited. Many people visit the Imperial Palace, and the Emperor and the Imperial family stand on the balcony of the Imperial Palace and greet those who come to offer congratulations.
Most people in Japan, not only Christians, enjoy Christmas Eve by exchanging presents with family and sweethearts and by eating together. The strategy of department stores and businesses, which is to stimulate consumer desire, has created this sort of Christmas culture. By the end of November, large trees decorate shopping districts and the advertising for Christmas sales in department stores and shopping street arcades is in full swing.
The custom of eating toshikoshi soba on New Year's Eve became widespread in the Edo Period(1603-1867). It started when a goldsmith, at the time of the general house-cleaning on New Year's Eve, gathered the gold dust that had scattered around in his workplace with kneaded soba dumplings, then burned these dumplings to ashes on a brazier(hibachi) and collected the gold dust left behind. Thus, it is said that soba collects money, and the practice came about of eating soba on New Year's Eve. Now however, because soba is fine and long, it is eaten with the wish for long life.
The last day of the year, December 31st, is called omisoka. To welcome the new year with good feelings, a general house-cleaning is completed, the flooring rush mats(tatami) are re-covered and the sliding paper screens(shoji) are repapered by this date; family reunions are held and the whole family brings in New Year with a sense of togetherness
At about midnight, bells speeding the old year begin to be rung all at temples all around the country. According to Buddhist teaching, human beings have 108 worldly desires which are removed by striking the bell speeding the old year 108 times. While listening to the sound of the bells, people eat year-crossing noodles, wishing for health in the coming year and long life.