Emperor’s Birthday

The Emperor’s Birthday is a national holiday whose date follows the birthday of the reigning emperor. February 23 became the date after Emperor Naruhito acceded to the throne in 2019; because his birthday had already passed that year, the first February 23 holiday of the Reiwa era was in 2020. The previous date, December 23, ceased to be a national holiday after Emperor Akihito’s abdication rather than remaining as a permanent imperial anniversary.

The Constitution defines the emperor as the symbol of the State and the unity of the people, deriving the position from the people’s will and assigning no powers related to government. A public greeting at the Imperial Palace and an official banquet are visible ceremonial elements, subject to annual Imperial Household Agency arrangements. Elsewhere it is generally a winter day off rather than a mandatory expression of political or religious allegiance.

Emperor’s Birthday is governed by Japan’s Act on National Holidays, and the Cabinet Office’s official calendar confirms its 2026 date. A statutory national holiday falling on Sunday creates a holiday on the nearest following day that is not already a national holiday; a weekday between two national holidays is also a holiday. These rules, not an informal “Mondayisation” assumption, produce May 6 and September 22 in 2026. Bank of Japan offices additionally close from December 31 through January 3, but those banking closures do not turn December 31 or January 2–3 into national holidays for all workers and businesses.