Get the Japanese Superfood List
In Japan, we have the Golden Week coming up, starting tomorrow. It is the longest chunk of public holidays in the year, and many people have five or six consecutive holidays. This year, the 29th is Saturday, and therefore this weekend becomes a regular weekend. Many people work on Monday the 1st and Tuesday the 2nd and have five holidays from the 3rd to the 7th. If you take days off on the 1st and 2nd, you will have nine consecutive holidays.
In the countryside, the Golden Week is the time of Taue, rice planting. It is the busiest season for the farmers.
And in Hino, it is the time of the Matsuri, festival. Hino Matsuri is held on May 3rd, and we have a
pre-festival event called Yoiyama on the 2nd, in the evening.
Many relatives come back to the town and celebrate the festival together, so it is the third biggest family gathering time after New Year and Obon in the summer.
Therefore, the Golden Week is the time for Taue and Matsuri for the people in Hino.
This year, Hino Matsuri will be held again for the first time since the pandemic. We had to cancel it three times.
We are all excited about it, and my son is taking part in the festival as a member of Ohayashi (Matsuri music) team. He’ll be playing the bell.