Sports Day (Japan)

Sports Day is a Japanese national holiday observed on the second Monday of October to promote the enjoyment of sports, a spirit of respect for others, and a healthy, vibrant society. It began in 1966 as Health and Sports Day, commemorating October 10th, the opening day of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The holiday moved to the second Monday of October in 2000 under the Happy Monday system and was renamed Sports Day in 2020. Schools and communities across Japan hold athletic meets around this time, making it the symbol of the autumn sports season.