Hi, everyone! How are you doing?
Finally ”Golden Week” has started!
If you are non-Japanese, you might have wondered what “Golden Week” is. Or that you have never heard of it before. Anyway, today let me explain what it is.
Getting close to this week or during this week, you might notice some Japanese people get excited talking about their plans. Yes, Japanese call this period of time “Golden Week.”
It starts from April 29th and ends around May 5th or even longer if the weekend follows. It applies to the period containing numbers of holidays. April 29th used to be the emperor’s birthday and also used to be called midori-no-hi or Green Day until 2006. May 3rd is Constitution Memorial Day. May 4th is Greenery Day, and May 5th is Children’s Day.
Since not so many Japanese business men can take long vacations, this period of time is an ideal time for them to go for a short trip with family or engage in whatever family activities they enjoy. Furthermore, there are many family events all over Japan during this week. It sounds like a lot of fun, but at the same time, we need to expect heavy traffic jam all over Japan. It’s everywhere! So if your destination is far, please expect that you will spend some time on the road in the vehicle. When we think of this, the real secret of enjoying Golden Week can be depending on how we can make our time in the car really fun.
So, I recommend you to install your family’s favorite movie, music or games on your tablet or smartphone. Or as another option is to go back to our old days and enjoy playing “Shiritori(Word chain game)” or “Nazonazo(riddles)” with your family and strengthen your family ties.
Now, let me mention one of the main events in Okinawa during this week. Naha Haari Festival(Dragon Boat race) will be held at Naha port. Hari is held as a prayer to God for wishing for good harvests and safe fishing. If you never seen it, I am sure you will be so overwhelmed by the Haari event for it’s powerfulness and it will be an unforgettable experience. There also will be fireworks at the evening, so you can enjoy the whole day at the venue.
Why not check events around the island and traffic information and have a fantastic Golden Week!
