Vernal Equinox Day
春分の日
A national holiday at the spring equinox, tied to Buddhist Higan and visits to family graves.
- This year
- Mar 20 (Fri)
- Around March 20–21 (official equinox formula)
History
Shunbun no Hi became a national holiday in 1948, replacing the prewar Shunki Kōreisai imperial ceremony. It falls on the astronomical vernal equinox as calculated for Japan. The surrounding week is お彼岸 (Ohigan), when people honor ancestors and visit cemeteries — a Buddhist idea that the equinox is when this world and the next are closest.
How it is observed
Families clean graves, offer flowers and ohagi sweets, and visit temples. Cherry blossom season may be beginning depending on the year and region.
Travel tips
Expect cemetery approaches and local trains to be busier with families. Many attractions stay open. Pack layers — late March weather swings quickly between cold mornings and mild afternoons.
Related shrines & temples
Places often visited around this day — open a shrine page or search the directory.