Japan vs. Australia: Public Holidays

Since today is a public holiday (Emperor's Birthday), it got me thinking about the difference in public holidays here in Japan compared to back home. I grew up in Australia, so I'll use that for my comparison.

The number of public holidays: Japan wins, quite heartily

Japan has 16 national holidays a year, whereas Australia has 10 to 13 depending on the state or territory. I think that's an interesting point to note - it can be confusing in Australia when one state has a public holiday and another doesn't. What's even more confusing is that the same holiday in Australia (like labor day) is celebrated in completely different months in different states! I like Japan's method better with holidays being national rather than prefecture-specific as it's much easier to remember.

I think it's interesting that with Japan's notorious work culture, that they have so many holidays. For a reference point, the global average is apparently 11 public holidays a year, so Japan is up there on the higher end. I imagine part of that is by design, since people may be reluctant to take leave, so public holidays become a substitute for that.

The priority for the type of holidays taken is quite different

Something I really like about Japan's public holidays is that a lot of them reflect an appreciation for the environment and nature, such as Greenery Day, Mountain Day and Marine Day, plus the equinox holidays. There are also a number of culture-based ones, including the Emperor's Birthday and Showa Day.

I like that Japan's holidays have an emphasis on appreciating nature and valuing culture.

In contrast, I feel like Australia's public holidays have much more of a religious and sporting focus. Nationally there are public holidays for Easter (it's a four day weekend) and Christmas, plus my home state of Victoria has public holidays for the Melbourne Cup (a horse racing event) and the AFL (Australian Football League) Grand Final. I think the choices for holidays say quite a bit about what is seen as important in the respective countries.

If you wondered how many countries celebrate Christmas with a public holiday, it's a lot... but Japan isn't one of them. Pic Credit: maphobbyist / CC By SA 4.0

How many public holidays does your home country celebrate annually? Are all of the public holidays held on a national level, or do different states/ prefectures/ provinces celebrate different ones?