Golden Week!

Hey friends,

Starting tomorrow, (Saturday) is a nice long Holiday for yours truly, as well as many of us here in Japan. Because of this, we will be out of the office until May 7th, and away ...far far away from telephones and computers.

This long break we have here is a string of National Holidays bunched together, collectively known as "Golden Week".

Or, as I sometimes like to call it, Goddamn Week.

Because as if Tokyo was not crowded enough as it is already, we will have people from all over Japan flocking here to take in all the lights, sights, frights and delights.

Restaurants, bars, train stations, and so on, and so on, will be CHAOS.

I feel so bad for those poor souls who work at the Airports here. Imagine all the people who are gonna take this opportunity to do a little travel.. yikes!

Be sure to raise a toast sometime to all them poor folks working at the Airport who will NOT be enjoying their Goddamn Week.

I am considering what I will do with myself.

Everyone is always asking "So, what are YOUR plans for Golden Week"?

My first instinction is to not "get out there and do something" but how to avoid "getting out there" at all!

Sometimes the reasons for National Holidays are kinda silly. Let's examine a few Japanese Holiday's which occur during Golden Week, shall we?

Like, the one that falls on May 4th for instance.

This holiday is called "Midori No Hi" (translated as "Green Day").

The reason for this holiday: A day to appreciate plants and growing things.

Sure, I'll take a day off for all the plants. And I'll be sure to appreciate them all for it.

May 3rd is an interesting one.

"Constitution Day". The reason: To commemorate Japan's post WWII Constitution.

Thank you Roosevelt Administration.

This next one borders on creepy.

May 5th. "Kodomo No Hi" (translated as Kid's Day).

That's a good one though, nothing wrong there right? We have Mother's Day, Father's Day. So why not a Kid's Day too?

But let's examine the official reason for this National Holiday: Though it IS called KID'S Day, this day is to "Celebrate" ..little.. boys..?

This is the day, though you see them all week, where the Japanese people fly large Carp shaped kites/flags (they kinda look like wind socks you see at the airport) to signify all the little boys swimming upstream in life. To march Japan onto Victory. And Glory!

..er.. sorry, got a little carried away there.

For some reason "Showa Day" is also included in Golden Week, though it falls a little further back on April 29th. This is to celebrate the former Emperor's Birthday.

So here's to the Emperor! Happy Birthday.... what was his name again?

There is one more holiday, on May 6th. But I can't quite remember what it is called or why we celebrate it. I just hope it isn't another National Holiday, set aside, to "appreciate" little boys.

So there you have it.

My week long forced vacation is officially about to start on this warm Friday evening.

The reason for this post: To let you know I will be out of the office till May 7th, hiding in my comfortable flat, playing my guitar, feeding my snake and... geez, what AM I gonna do?!

Happy Goddamn Week!

Combat Colin.