A Guide to Japan’s Faux Holidays
Eat an extra portion of tofu on October 2nd, get married on November 22nd and say thank you to everyone on March 9th — welcome to the odd world of Japan's made up holidays. Have you ever noticed that, out of the blue, all convenience stores are suddenly displaying a vast array of slender pocky boxes, with signboards urging you to buy those additive chocolate sticks because something special is going on? You remind yourself of the date — November 11, or rather, 11/11 — and you make the association: four lines that to many Japanese people look like Pocky sticks — and then you figure, it’s time t...