Children's Day Description
Children's Day (こどもの日, Kodomo no Hi) on May 5th is the final day of Golden Week and traditionally focuses on celebrating boys (Girls' Day, Hinamatsuri, is March 3rd). Families with sons display koinobori — colorful carp-shaped windsocks flown from poles outside homes, symbolizing the Chinese legend of a carp that swam upstream to become a dragon, representing strength, determination, and success. Inside homes, gogatsu-ningyo (samurai warrior dolls) and kabuto (samurai helmets) are displayed. Children eat kashiwa-mochi (rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki (sweet rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves). Public baths sometimes offer shobu-yu (iris leaf baths), as iris leaves are believed to ward off evil and promote health — a tradition with roots in the old Boys' Day festival (Tango no Sekku). Government offices and schools close. Theme parks like Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Universal Studios Japan are at peak crowding. Department stores run children's promotions. In 2026, with Golden Week ending on a Tuesday, many workers will take May 1st (Friday) off to create a ten-day holiday spanning from April 25th to May 5th. Koinobori festivals with hundreds of streamers over rivers are held in cities like Tsuetate and Tatebayashi.
