National Mountain Day
August 11, 2025-August 11, 2025 -
Japan, Japan
Enacted on May 23, 2014, officials in Japan announced that they would celebrate and promote Mountain Day as a public holiday in the country. The purpose and idea behind the day is a simple one: get to know and appreciate the mountains and the blessings that come from them.
The law was put into action in 2014 but wasn’t actually enforced until 2016. For the years prior to the bill entering into law, it was a grassroots movement of mountain and outdoor supporters, as well as the Japanese Alpine Group, who lobbied to make the day into reality. A National Ceremony for Mountain Day that happened in the Japanese Alps at Kamikochi in Matsumoto, Nagao on the first celebration of the day.
An important argument for the bill was that the Shinto beliefs, which have deeply shaped the culture of the Japanese people, teach that mountains and peaks should be celebrated as an important part of nature.
And since approximately 70% of the landmass of the country of Japan is made up of mountainous areas, honoring Mountain Day seems like a fitting tribute for such a place. The highest and perhaps most recognizable mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji, which comes in at 3,776 meters at its peak, and is one of the country’s three “holy mountains”.
Because the day, August 11, had already been set aside by various local authorities, it was decided that it would remain the day. But even the date is fitting and appropriate as many people have noticed that the number 8 (for August), when written in Japanese, resembles a mountain, and the number 11 resembles two trees.
11 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
National Mountain Day
