Japan isn’t one to snub its nose at a holiday. In fact, there are 22 major holidays in Japan that include public days of observance and culturally significant celebrations. While there are a handful of Western holidays that have crossed over to Japan, there are also several holidays that are unique to Japan, heavily influenced by Shinto religion and Japanese cultural values. Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日, Keirō no Hi) is one such holiday. Below, we’ll take a look at the origins of the holiday and how it’s celebrated in Japan.
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What is Respect for the Aged Day?
Respect for the Aged Day is a public holiday in Japan that honors older community members. It was first celebrated in 1947 in Nomadani-mura, a small agricultural town in the Hyogo prefecture. Known as “old folks” day, this celebration soon gained nationwide popularity and became a public holiday in 1966.
When is Respect for the Aged Day?
Respect for the Aged Day was originally celebrated on September 15th. Since 2003, it has been held on the third Monday of September each year. At this time of year, Japan is just beginning its transition from summer to fall.
This isn’t the only holiday whose celebration date changed! The “Happy Monday System,” a series of laws signed in 1998 and 2001, shifted several holidays on the calendar to Mondays to provide workers with three-day weekends.
How is Respect for the Aged Day celebrated?
Unlike the bean throwing tradition of Setsubun or the lantern send-off at the close of Japan’s Obon Festival, there are no universal customs on Respect for the Aged Day. You could say this is a nod to the pace at which many older individuals embrace life, as the day is spent primarily resting and relaxing with loved ones.
If families aren’t already living with their elders, they will take the opportunity to visit them. It’s also common to spend the day volunteering to distribute boxed lunches to local seniors, and children will put on performances for larger groups. While there’s no official age that would qualify an individual as an elder, those that are honored often have grandchildren or have retired from work.
Understanding Japan’s aging population
Japan doesn’t just respect their elders—they have a larger demographic of older community members than any other country. Those older than 65 years old make up 29 percent of the population, while over 1 in 10 people in Japan are over 80 years old. As life expectancies are long and birth rates remain low, experts expect the trend to continue.
Why is Japan’s population aging?
You’ll hear the term “aging population” in countries or regions where individuals live long lives and have few children. As we know, Japanese culture values caring for the elderly. This value, their healthcare system, and various lifestyle factors lead to long lives.
Experts cite factors like later marriages, high cost of living, and long work hours for the low birth rates. These factors lead to declining birth rates in plenty of other wealthy countries, but the low birth rate is particularly noticeable in Japan. The pandemic made the pre-existing problem worse, since fewer people worldwide got married and had children during this time.
How does an aging population affect life in Japan?
A growing elderly population does put a strain on the country’s workforce, social security, and healthcare systems. Of the national workforce, only 13 percent of workers are 65 or older. Because of declining birth rates, there are fewer workers to replace those who are close to retirement. And with fewer medical workers and fewer taxpayers, the quality of healthcare and social security is at risk.
That said, there are significant benefits to living alongside an elderly population that economic trends leave out. Older community members can take on caregiving responsibilities for children, passing down significant cultural traditions and practices in the process. They also provide a social safety net for many families.
How does Japan celebrate reaching a 100th birthday?
Respect for the Aged Day honors the matriarchs and patriarchs of each family—but for those that go above and beyond in age, Japan has an additional mark of celebration.
When a Japanese person reaches 100 years old, they receive a commemorative silver sake cup from the government. This practice started in 1963! Though the cup is no longer made of silver as it was in days past, it is still a mark of pride for those who receive it.
Japanese phrases you can use on Respect for the Aged Day
If you find yourself observing Respect for the Aged day with a Japanese family or community, here are some phrases that will help you identify basic words and phrases and start a conversation.
Japanese family vocabulary
Here are the basic Japanese words for family members. For some relatives, the words used for your own family and someone else’s family are different.
| English | Japanese for your own family | Japanese for someone else’s family |
| I / me | 私（わたし) watashi |
N/A |
| father | 父（ちち) chichi |
お父さん o-tō-san |
| mother | 母（はは） haha |
お母さん o-kā-san |
| older sister | 姉（あね） ane |
お姉さん / お姉ちゃん o-nee-san / o-nee-chan |
| younger sister | 妹（いもうと） imōto |
N/A |
| older brother | 兄（あに） ani |
お兄さん / お兄ちゃん o-nii-san / o-nii-chan |
| younger brother | 弟（おとうと） otōto |
N/A |
| grandfather | 祖父（そふ） sofu |
おじいさん / おじいちゃん o-jii-san / o-jii-chan |
| grandmother | 祖母（そぼ） sobo |
おばあさん / おばあちゃん o-bā-san / o-bā-chan |
| great grandfather | 曽祖父 （そうそふ) sōsofu |
ひいおじいさん / ひいおじいちゃん hii-o-jii-san / hii-o-jii-chan |
| great grandmother | 曽祖母（そうそぼ) sobo |
ひいおばあさん / ひいおばあちゃん hii-o-bā-san / hii-o-bā-chan |
| grandchild | 孫 （まご） mago |
N/A |
| great grandchild | ひ孫（ひまご） himago |
N/A |
| wife | 妻/家内 tsuma / kanai |
奥さん okusan |
| husband | 主人/夫 shujin / otto |
ご主人 goshujin |
Here are some other words to use when discussing family:
| English | Japanese |
| family | 家族 (かぞく) kazoku |
| relatives | 親戚 (しんせき) shinseki |
| parent(s) | 親 (おや) oya |
| parents (father and mother) | 両親 (りょうしん) ryōshin |
| child(ren) | 子供 (こども) kodomo |
| brothers (regardless of birth order) | 兄弟 (きょうだい) kyōdai |
| sisters (regardless of birth order) | 姉妹 (しまい) shimai |
| aunt | 叔母 (おば ) oba |
| uncle | 叔父 (おじ) oji |
| niece | 姪 (めい) mei |
| nephew | 甥 (おい) oi |
| cousin | いとこ itoko |
Japanese honorifics
Honorifics are central to Japanese culture and communication. They’re especially important on a day that’s all about showing respect. Here are the most common Japanese honorifics and when to use them.
| Honorific | When to use it |
| san さん | Most common formal honorific suffix. This can be used for any age, gender or social status. It is roughly equivalent to “Mr.,” “Ms.,” or “Mrs.” in English. |
| chan ちゃん | Most common informal honorific suffix. This is often used as a term of endearment for children, romantic partners, or close friends. |
| sama さま | Most formal honorific suffix. It is used when you want to confer the utmost respect. It is attached to deities’ names. |
| senpai 先輩 | Used as a suffix for anyone whose status is above yours. This literally translates to “senior.” |
Common conversation starters in Japanese
Here are the essential greetings and polite expressions you can use to start conversations with people of all ages:
| English | Japanese |
| hello | こんにちは konnichiwa |
| good morning | おはようございます ohayou gozaimasu |
| good evening | こんばんは konbanwa |
| Nice to meet you! | はじめまして hajimemashite |
| How are you? | お元気ですか ogenki desuka |
| thank you | ありがとうございます arigatou gozaimasu |
| excuse me | すみません sumimasen |
| sorry | ごめんなさい gomen nasai |
Explore Japanese with Rosetta Stone
Respect for the Aged Day reflects Japan’s long held Buddhist and Confucian roots, and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the people who helped shape Japan’s present-day communities.
If exploring Japan’s holidays has inspired you to learn Japanese, Rosetta Stone has all the tools you need to get started. Bite-sized lessons let you fit learning into your schedule, and our Dynamic Immersion approach makes intuitive learning possible—so you won’t need to memorize vocabulary lists to feel confident in conversation.
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