Constitution Memorial Day in Japan
When is Constitution Day in Japan?
Constitution Day in Japan is on May 3, 2025. It falls on Saturday.
How many days until Constitution Day in Japan?
There are 129 Days left until Constitution Day in Japan.
Is Constitution Day a public holiday in Japan?
Constitution Memorial Day or also known as Constitution Day in Japan, is a national holiday which is observed annually every 3rd of May. Constitution Memorial Day is known as ‘Kenpo Kinenbi’ by the Japanese and is celebrated to commemorate the event when the 1947 Constitution of Japan was enacted.
The constitution was actually promulgated on November 6, 1946 but it was implemented and came into effect on a later time, on May 3, 1947 to be specific. Thus, the 3rd of May was made to become a national holiday which should be celebrated every year in the country. Constitution Day is also the second holiday to be celebrated during the Golden Week. Up until the current times, its celebration is still observed together with the rest of the holidays comprising Japan’s Golden Week (collection of national holidays within a seven-day period).
Origin of Constitution Memorial Day in Japan
The Japanese post-war constitution is said to be the only constitution around the world that has never been amended since its declaration in 1947. Designated as a public holiday, most businesses would close during the Constitution Memorial Day to give their employees some time to have a vacation, considering that this holiday also takes part of the country’s Golden Week. And while many restaurants, shops, stores, and others which remain open, government institutions, schools, banks, and post-offices are expected to be closed on this day.
The Meiji Constitution
Prior to the occurrence of the Second World War, Japan had been using a different constitution which was established during the Meiji Period. Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) was the country’s reigning emperor from 1867-1912 and during his reign, the Meiji Constitution was created. Under this constitution, the Emperor’s power over the country was almost absolute. The Meiji Constitution was said to be a mixture of both constitutional and absolute monarchy and during its usage, the emperor ruled Japan with supreme authority. However, this was changed upon the occurrence of the Second World War.
The Second World War, which is considered as the biggest war in human history, started in 1939 and ended on 1945, following the events of Japan’s surrender to the Allied Forces. There were two military alliances involved on this war, the Allied Powers (comprising of Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, US, and China) and the Axis Powers (comprising of Italy, Germany, and Japan). On the first few years since the war broke out, the Axis Powers had been on the advantage, winning battles after battles, however, on 1943, the tables have turned and the Axis Powers have been pushed to the corners and were on a pinch. Still, the war had continued until 1945, when both Germany and Japan (remaining Axis Powers) had surrendered. Germany completely surrendered on May and Japan admit its defeat on August of the same year.
The Japanese Post-War Constitution and the Abolishment of Meiji Constitution
When the US military troops dropped an atomic bomb first on Hiroshima, a city in Japan on August 6, 1945, the bombing killed around 80,000 civilians and soldiers. Another 35, 000 were badly injured. Yet, Japan is still refusing to surrender. A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, another city of Japan on August 9, 1945 and this time, killing at least 74, 000 people and many others were suffering from terrible injuries. These horrible events had made Japan to finally admit defeat and completely surrender to the Allied Forces. The unconditional surrender happened on August 15, 1945 and it was broadcasted all over the country through the radio by Emperor Showa (Naruhito), who was the reigning emperor at that time.
Thus, for the next two years, Japan together with the U.S General Douglas MacArthur, have drafted the country’s new constitution. The new constitution is called the ‘Peace Constitution’ (since it emphasizes peace and pacifism), but most of the time, it is commonly called as the ‘Japanese Post-War Constitution’. The new constitution was implemented on May 3, 1947, which has then become a national holiday and has been celebrated up until present. With the abolishment of the previous Meiji Constitution and the usage of the new one, political power/authority has been stripped off of the emperors of Japan. Although the emperors are still considered as the ‘symbol of the state and the country’s unity’, with the creation of the 1947 Constitution of Japan, the emperors no longer exercise any political authority over the country. At the same time, pacifism is now upheld and the workers’ and the human rights were introduced in Japan. Technically, with the new constitution, the sovereignty was made to lie on the hands of the Japanese people.
Japanese Traditions and Activities during Constitution Memorial Day
The Constitution Memorial Day is celebrated to encourage the public to reflect on the important events of Japan’s history instead of celebrating it as a party holiday. On this day, many events are held in the country to commemorate the day when Japan’s post-war constitution was created. One of those is the practice to open up the National Diet Building for the general public to visit.
Touring the National Diet Building
The National Diet Building (bicameral legislature of Japan) is located at Chiyoda, Tokyo and the place where the new constitution was drafted 73 years ago. Although typically off-limits to the public, during the Constitution Memorial Day, the doors of this building would be open just for the celebration of this holiday. People are invited to visit and enter the premises to make a tour of the building, take a look, and somehow expand their knowledge on Japan’s history. At present, many visitors would take some photos inside the building, although there are only three areas of the National Diet Building where taking photos are allowed. These areas include: the House of Representatives Main Chamber, the House of Councillors Visitors Lobby, and the Front Garden of both houses.
Exhibits
Allowing the general public to see the 70-year old constitution kept in Japan’s National Archives is another important event one shouldn’t miss during this holiday. The said document is only accessible to the publics’ eyes on special occasions, and one of those instances is when the Constitution Memorial Day occurs. The National Archives of Japan (located in Chiyoda ward in central Tokyo) would arrange for a limited-time exhibition of the constitution. So those who would come to visit can have a clear view on it, along with the other important documents associated with its creation. As part of the celebration of this holiday, several articles are also being published by many newspapers and magazines in Japan, with the focus being about the constitution and the Japanese government. Some public lectures related to Japan’s involvement on the Second World War, leading to the creation of the Post-War Constitution, and the role it played for the past 73 years in the country, are also being arranged by the local governments around the Metropolitan areas. The public are encourage to attend to such events for them to better understand the history of the country and to reflect on Japan’s democracy and future progresses.
Traveling and Having a Vacation
Many of the Japanese would take part on the above-mentioned events, however, considering the fact that Constitution Memorial Day is the second holiday of Japan’s Golden Week (following the Showa Day which is celebrated on April 29), other Japanese would also take the day, and the rest of the week, as an opportunity to enjoy, travel, and have a vacation. Traveling across the country or abroad or even just going on trips back to their hometowns to reunite with their friends and family is also typical during the holiday.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 03 | Saturday | Constitution Day |
| 2026 | May 03 | Sunday | Constitution Day |
| 2027 | May 03 | Monday | Constitution Day |
| 2028 | May 03 | Wednesday | Constitution Day |
| 2029 | May 03 | Thursday | Constitution Day |
| 2030 | May 03 | Friday | Constitution Day |
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2024 |
| New Year's Eve | December 31, 2024 |
| New Year's Day | January 01, 2025 |
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