Where is Labor Thanksgiving Day a national holiday on November 23rd every year? It is a national holiday in Japan. Known in Japanese as Kinrō Kansha no Hi, the day honors labor, celebrates production, and encourages people to express gratitude to one another. It is observed annually on November 23, with a Monday substitute holiday when November 23 falls on a Sunday.
The modern holiday grew out of Niiname-sai, an ancient Japanese harvest ritual associated with the Imperial household. In that ceremony, the emperor traditionally gave thanks for the year’s harvest and offered newly harvested rice to Shinto deities. The date was fixed as November 23 after Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in the Meiji period.
After World War II, Japan’s 1948 national holiday law gave the occasion its secular name and present civic emphasis. The older ritual continues privately within the Imperial tradition, while public observances may include schoolchildren thanking workers such as firefighters, police officers, medical staff, and members of the Self-Defense Forces. It is not the same holiday as the labor movement’s May Day celebrations.