The Japan Anniversary Association was founded from the Japan Anniversary Committee and has taken it upon itself to increase people’s interest in anniversaries. Therefore, they introduced a registration process with which certain anniversaries or memorial days are intended to encourage people to celebrate. 5 of these memorial days are dedicated to animes.
What kind of holidays are these? In Japan, there are some certified and registered memorial days or anniversaries that are based on various animes. These are series that have made a significant contribution to Japanese culture.
The following memorial days exist in Japan:
- January 1: Astro Boy Day
- February 27: Pokémon Day
- May 9: Goku Day
- July 22: One Piece Day
- September 13: Fist of the North Star Day
Many of the anniversaries are based on a play on words or the start of the series. Goku Day falls on May 9, because the Japanese translation of Goku consists of the numbers 5 and 9. There are also some video games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy VII that have their own memorial day.
On these days, new announcements related to the respective animes can take place. However, this is not a must: The Pokémon Day 2024 was celebrated this year precisely on February 27, while the One Piece Day in 2024 will be held on August 10 and 11.
On One Piece Day, there could be new details about Season 2 of the Netflix series:
The anime holidays should be taken with a wink
Are the holidays official? The holidays should be seen with a bit of humor. The Japan Anniversary Association has indeed introduced numerous memorial days that are sometimes based on the biggest nonsense. For example, on April 4, the day of yogurt with 0% fat content is celebrated. On August 22, the Japanese celebrate Hair Growth Day.
Accordingly, people do not get a day off on these days. You can think of the holidays like our Valentine’s Day. Although it is not an official holiday, it is recognized and celebrated by many people.
What can we expect on the upcoming Anime Day? The next Anime Day is the One Piece Day. This year, it will not be celebrated on July 22, but on August 10 and 11. During the celebrations, we can expect new information about the One Piece remake from Netflix. There might also be new information about the live-action series that will also stream on Netflix. Additionally, there will be a stage program and other activities for people on site.
One Piece celebrated Luffy’s birthday on May 5. During the celebrations, Luffy actor Iñaki Godoy revealed another character who will appear in Season 2 of the Netflix live adaptation: One Piece celebrates Luffy’s birthday, hints at the story of Season 2, and the return of a known opponent
