is a Japanese holiday

Holidays of Japan

Public holidays in Japan were established by the of 1948 .A provision of the law establishes that when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day shall become a public holiday, known as . Additionally, any day that falls between two other national holidays shall also become a...

. Between 1989 and 2006 it was celebrated on April 29. In 2007 Greenery Day was moved to May 4.

The present observation of Greenery Day as a national holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the Emperor Shōwa

Hirohito

, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...

's birthday on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era. In 1989, following the ascension of the current Emperor Akihito

Akihito

is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...

 to the Chrysanthemum Throne

Chrysanthemum Throne

The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....

, the name of the holiday was changed from "Birthday of the Emperor" to "Greenery Day". Officially, as its name suggests, it is a day to commune with nature

Nature

Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...

 and to be thankful for blessings. The day was renamed to "Greenery Day" to acknowledge the controversial wartime emperor's love for plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

s without directly mentioning his name. However, in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week vacation.

In 2007, Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was changed to Shōwa Day

Showa Day

is a Japanese annual holiday held on April 29. It honors the birthday of the Shōwa Emperor , the reigning Emperor from 1926 to 1989. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign.-History:...

in accordance with a 2005 revision of the law pertaining to public holidays. The Shōwa Emperor reigned for 62 years and 2 weeks. On May 3, 1947, he became a symbol of Japan by the new constitution of the country.

Years	April 29	May 4
before 1985	The Emperor's Birthday	Non-holiday
1985–1988	The Emperor's Birthday	National day of rest
1989–2006	Greenery Day	National day of rest
2007–	Shōwa Day	Greenery Day