Image Source: https://japanphilly.org/shofuso/

Located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, every year the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center celebrates Children’s Day on May 5. Children’s Day is a Japanese national holiday and is the final celebration of Golden Week, a collection of four national holidays within seven days. It is a day set aside to respect children’s individual personalities and to celebrate their happiness.

Children’s Day has had several names throughout history, including Tango no Sekku (one of the five Imperial ceremonial days), the Iris Festival, the Feast of Banners, and Boys’ Day. It began as a day to ward off evil spirits and to pray for good health, and evolved into a day where samurai families would celebrate the male children of the household by hoisting banners outside their homes and displaying helmets. In 1948, the Japanese government designated May 5 to be a national holiday to celebrate the happiness and health of all children and was renamed Children’s Day.

This event is a wonderful time to visit Shofuso which is open rain or shine, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is by timed tickets only. Tickets can be purchased in person (based on availability) and online at https://japanphilly.org/shofuso/visit/. 

Shofuso itself is a traditional 17th century style Japanese house and 1.2-acre garden and is widely recognized as one of the top Japanese gardens in North America. The visitor entrance is located at Landsdowne Drive and Horticultural Drive in Philadelphia, Pa. For additional information, call 215.878.5097 or visit https://japanphilly.org/welcome/.