Japanese National Holidays and annual events
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html

• January 1-3 New Year (shogatsu):
  This is the most important national holiday in Japan. (Rice: Pounded sweet rice cake)
  
  
• Second Monday of January Coming of Age (seijin no hi):
  The coming of age of 20 year old men and women is celebrated.
  
  
• February 3 Beginning of spring (setsubun) (not a national holiday)
  People enjoy throwing beans at evils called “oni” to invite happiness into home.
  
  
• February 11 National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinenbi):
  According to the earliest Japanese history books, on this day in the year 660 BC the first Japanese emperor was crowned.
  
  
• February 14 Valentine's Day (not a national holiday)
  In Japan, women give chocolates to men on Valentine's Day.
  
  
• March 3 Doll's (or girls) Festival (hina matsuri) (not a national holiday) Girls will celebrate their well-being by decorating dolls. (Rice: Hishi mochi)
  
  
• March 14 White Day (not a national holiday)
  The opposite of Valentine's Day: Men give cakes or chocolates to women.
  
  
• March 21 Spring Equinox Day (shunbun no hi) (not a national holiday)
  Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day. The day itself is a national holiday. (Rice: Rice cakes as offerings)
  
  
• April 29 Green Day (midori no hi)
  Emperor Showa's birthday.
  
  
• May 3 Constitution Day (kenpo kinenbi)
  National holiday remembering the new constitution that was put into effect after the war. The week from April 29 through May 5 are called “Golden Week.”
  
  
• May 4 "Between Day" (kokumin no kyujitsu)
  Recently created national holiday to make the Golden Week a continuous holiday.
  
  
• May 5 Children's Day (kodomo no hi)
  Also called boy's festival. (Rice: Chimaki)
  
  
• July 7 Star Festival (tanabata) (not a national holiday)
  People write wishes on a paper and hang from Bamboo and wish for a legendary couple to have an annual meeting over Milky way in the sky, who were separated by a god.
  
  
• Third Monday of July Ocean Day (umi no hi)
  A recently introduced national holiday to celebrate the ocean. The day marks the return of Emperor Meiji from a boat trip to Hokkaido in 1876.
  
  
• July/August Obon
  Obon is a festival to commemorate the deceased ancestors. Usually around August 13-15. (Rice: Rice cakes as offerings)
  
  
• Third Monday of September Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi)
  Respect for the elderly and longevity is celebrated on this national holiday.
  
  
• September Moon viewing

Rabbit pounding rice cake on Moon (Rice: rice dumpling, called Tsuki mi dango)

• September 23 Autumn Equinox Day (shubun no hi)
  Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day. The day itself is a national holiday. (Rice: Rice cakes as offerings)
  
  
• Second Monday of October Health and Sports Day (taiiku no hi)
  On that day 1964, the Olympic games of Tokyo were opened.
  
• November 3 Culture Day (bunka no hi)
  A day for promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. On the culture day, schools and the government award certain persons for their special, cultural activities.
  
• November 15 Seven-Five-Three (shichi go san) (not a national holiday)
  A festival for children whose age are 7, 5, or 3.
  
• November 23 Labour Thanksgiving Day (kinro kansha no hi)
  A national holiday for honouring labour. (Emperor’s rice harvest to Ise Shrine as an offering to God)
  
  
• December 23
  Emperor's Birthday (tenno no tanjobi)
  The birthday of the current emperor is always a national holiday. If the emperor changes, the national holiday changes to the birthday date of the new emperor.
  
  
• December 24-25 Christmas (not a national holiday)
  Even though they are not Christian, it is celebrated by an increasing number of Japanese.