Marine Day in Japan takes place on the third Monday of July; it falls on July 21 this year. Marine Day is a Japanese national holiday that aims to thank the ocean for its bounty. Considering that Japan is a maritime nation, the country and its people are heavily dependent on the ocean. On this day, many Japanese people make a trip to the beach and enjoy ocean-related festivities. Called ‘Umi no hi,’ the date of Marine Day also generally coincides with monsoons in mainland Japan. The date of the festival was moved around in 2020 and 2021 due to the Tokyo Olympics, Marine Day is set to go back to the regular schedule.

Marine Day, also known as “Sea Day, is a day when the island country of Japan expresses its gratitude to the seas and oceans. Marine Day only became a national holiday in Japan in 1996. Since 2003, it has been observed on the third Monday of July.

Before 1996, it was known as Marine Memorial Day and was not a federal holiday. Water is undeniably essential to our survival. As a result, ‌we should be grateful for our oceans, lakes, and rivers. According to studies, taking the time to consciously practice thankfulness can make us happy, reduce our blood pressure, and do other things. Japan is the world’s only country with a public holiday dedicated to ocean blessing.