The transition from winter to spring is always highly anticipated in Japan. The coming of spring is given much prominence in Japanese culture. Shunbun no hi should officially be on your radar now, and you should be planning to tick it off your newly adjusted bucket list ASAP with this newfound insider knowledge.Japan has so much going for it, from street food to world-class shopping, that often travellers don’t realise that Japan Ski Resorts have some of the best powdery skiing you can get internationally, including the likes of Aspen and the French Alps. With the cherry blossom in bloom, parks and forests are often carpeted with the brightest, most beautiful pink and white blossoms you have ever seen. When Is Vernal Equinox Day 2020? On the Gregorian calendar, Back in ancient times, the day of the vernal equinox was a time to visit the graves of one’s ancestors and pay homage to them. This date was once the day dedicated to celebrating this religious event, right up until after the war. Read about Autumnal Equinox Day in Japan in 2020. When is Vernal Equinox Day in other years? Bota mochi is a chewy ball of sweet rice, frequently used as an offering at shrines, temples and graves across Japan.Note: If for some reason you do not receive a reply from us within 48 hours - please check your spam folder or send us an email directly at info (at) cotoacademy.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.Cafes in Iidabashi and Kagurazaka that are good for Studying The Love Shrine of Tokyo - Tokyo Daijingu Shrine(東京大神宮) I understand that Coto does not provide visa support. There are a number of things that ought to be on your priority list when travelling in Japan, from ensuring you stay in It takes place this year on Friday, 20 March 2020 – this varies yearly, based on the seasons and the astronomy.Vernal Equinox Day marks the official date when the chilly breezes of the Winter turn to the floral joviality of Spring, and hence the whole of Japan becomes a shrine to nature. In different cultures there are different celebrations to welcome the summer. In Japan, the autumn equinox is also marked with a public holiday, “Autumnal Equinox Day”, or 秋分の日 (Shubun no Hi) in Japanese.If we put the term “equinox” into context though, we discover that both the spring equinox, and the autumn equinox, are not true to their supposed meaning. Vernal Equinox Day marks the official date when the chilly breezes of the Winter turn to the floral joviality of Spring, and hence the whole of Japan becomes a shrine to nature. March 20 or 21 is Shunbun no Hi, or Vernal Equinox Day, a day when the sun crosses the equator making night and day equal in length. The day will come on either 20 or 21 March since Japan lies in the Northern Hemisphere.Originally, this holiday was a specifically Shinto event, but today, it has been secularised. And as happens in the raises that are in the northern hemisphere, the days get longer in summer. It's a national holiday in Japan, a day to commune with nature and to show our affection for all living things. Expect plenty of fresh fruit and berries with everything you order!Depending on which city you are visiting in Japan, so will the shrines differ. That said, there is no denying that the celebrations which take place have a spiritual feel to them – which is linked to their original purpose.A number of traditions take place on Vernal Equinox Day, one of which involves burial sites and ancestors. Yet, being close enough, it’s unlikely the names of these events will change any time soon!The first observance of Vernal Equinox Day, also known as Spring Equinox Day, was in 1948, yet, as with many other Japanese holidays, its origins go back much further than that. Today, they are more likely to catch up with friends and relatives they haven’t seen for a long time.However, some Shinto traditions have persisted. A number of families will visit the graves of their ancestors, where they will clean the stone, sweep the surrounding areas, pull any weeds that may have grown, as well as plant flowers to celebrate the life that can come from death and the cycle of nature at its most simple.There is no one specific food to eat on Vernal Equinox Day, however given that it is the start of Spring, there are plenty of Springtime foods you should aim to sample. Vernal Equinox Day 2020 in Japan. It's a national holiday in Japan, a day to commune with nature and to show our affection for all living things. Although Vernal Equinox Day may not be as flashy as the other spring festivals, it is an important part of starting the spring season in Japan as well as cultivating a full understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture. Due to light refraction and the geometric centre of the sun, the lengths of day and night are not completely equal. Vernal Equinox Day In Japan, the spring equinox is a national holiday. All the while, visitors to Osaka can bee-line to Hozen-ji Temple, or to Sumiyoshi-taisha which is one of Japan’s oldest shrines. During these times, trips to ancestral family graves are common, as is a popular food known as “bota mochi” (or “ohagi” during the autumn higan). And thus, it’s not surprising that Vernal Equinox Day has national holiday status. Alternatively, head to Asakusa-jinja Shrine, one of the most famous shrines in Tokyo. To celebrate, people will hold family reunions, visit shrines and seek out cherry blossoms and other natural wonders.