Japan had 17 public holidays in 2021, including 1 substitute or bridge day. Combined with weekends they made 6 breaks of three days or more; the longest ran 5 days, May 1–May 5. That year only, Marine Day, Sports Day and Mountain Day were moved to fit around the Tokyo Olympics.
Date
Day
Holiday
Jan 1, 2021
Fri
New Year's Day (元日)
Jan 11, 2021
Mon
Coming of Age Day (成人の日)
Feb 11, 2021
Thu
National Foundation Day (建国記念の日)
Feb 23, 2021
Tue
Emperor's Birthday (天皇誕生日)
Mar 20, 2021
Sat
Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日)
Apr 29, 2021
Thu
Showa Day (昭和の日)
May 3, 2021
Mon
Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日)
May 4, 2021
Tue
Greenery Day (みどりの日)
May 5, 2021
Wed
Children's Day (こどもの日)
Jul 22, 2021
Thu
Marine Day (海の日)
Jul 23, 2021
Fri
Sports Day (スポーツの日)
Aug 8, 2021
Sun
Mountain Day (山の日)
Aug 9, 2021
Mon
Mountain Day (substitute) (振替休日)
Sep 20, 2021
Mon
Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日)
Sep 23, 2021
Thu
Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日)
Nov 3, 2021
Wed
Culture Day (文化の日)
Nov 23, 2021
Tue
Labour Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日)
Long weekends (6)
Fri Jan 1 – Sun Jan 3: 3 days (New Year's Day)
Sat Jan 9 – Mon Jan 11: 3 days (Coming of Age Day)
Sat May 1 – Wed May 5: 5 days (Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, Children's Day)
Thu Jul 22 – Sun Jul 25: 4 days (Marine Day, Sports Day)
Sat Aug 7 – Mon Aug 9: 3 days (Mountain Day, Mountain Day substitute)
Sat Sep 18 – Mon Sep 20: 3 days (Respect for the Aged Day)
Born in Reiwa 3 (2021): Life Milestones in Japan
Japanese school years run from April 2 to April 1, so children born January 1 – April 1 (hayaumare) start school a year earlier than others born in the same calendar year.
Milestone
Born Apr 2 – Dec 31
Born Jan 1 – Apr 1
Elementary school entry
April 2028 (Reiwa 10)
April 2027 (Reiwa 9)
Junior high school entry
April 2034 (Reiwa 16)
April 2033 (Reiwa 15)
High school entry
April 2037 (Reiwa 19)
April 2036 (Reiwa 18)
Coming-of-age ceremony (20)*
January 2042 (Reiwa 24)
January 2041 (Reiwa 23)
Legal adulthood (18): birthday in 2039 (Reiwa 21)
Shichi-Go-San (by actual age): age 3 in 2024, age 5 in 2026, age 7 in 2028 (November)
Unlucky years (honyaku, traditional count): men 25 in 2045, 42 in 2062, 61 in 2081; women 19 in 2039, 33 in 2053, 37 in 2057, 61 in 2081
Kanreki (60th birthday): 2081 (Reiwa 63)
* Most municipalities invite everyone who turns 20 during that school year; dates and eligibility vary by city. Unlucky-year ages can differ by shrine.
Reiwa 3 at a Glance
Zodiac (full eto): 辛丑 (かのと・うし) — Metal Ox
Length: 365 days
New Year's Day fell on a Friday
About Reiwa 3 (令和3年)
Reiwa 3 is the third year of the Reiwa era (令和), Japan's current
imperial era. In the Western Gregorian calendar, Reiwa 3 corresponds
to the full year 2021 — from January 1 to December 31.
The Reiwa era began on May 1, 2019, when Emperor Naruhito ascended to
the Chrysanthemum Throne following the abdication of Emperor Akihito.
To convert any Reiwa year to a Western year, use the simple formula:
Reiwa year + 2018 = Western year. For Reiwa 3:
3 + 2018 = 2021. This formula works for all years in the Reiwa era.
How to Write Reiwa 3 in Japanese (令和3年の書き方)
In Japanese, Reiwa 3 is written as 令和3年 or
令和三年 using kanji numerals. On official documents,
forms, and government paperwork in Japan, the era year format is
standard. If you are filling out a Japanese form that asks for the
current year or a past year, you may need to write 令和3年 rather
than 2021.
Reiwa 3 (令和3年) is 2021 in the Western Gregorian calendar.
The Reiwa era began on May 1, 2019, so Reiwa year 3 plus 2018
equals 2021. Reiwa 3 runs from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
What day of the week is January 1, Reiwa 3?
January 1, Reiwa 3 (令和3年1月1日) falls on a Friday. In
Western calendar terms, this is January 1, 2021. Use the era
date converter above to check the day of the week for any
Reiwa 3 date.
How many public holidays were there in Reiwa 3 (2021)?
Japan had 17 public holidays in 2021 (1 of them a substitute or bridge day), giving 6 breaks of three days or more; the longest ran 5 days, May 1–May 5.
When does a child born in Reiwa 3 start elementary school?
In April 2028 (Reiwa 10) if born April 2 – December 31, 2021, and in April 2027 (Reiwa 9) if born January 1 – April 1, 2021, because Japanese school years run from April 2 to April 1.