Mountain Day · Worksheet 1
Japan's Newest Holiday: A Day for Mountains
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1Japan has a holiday just for mountains. It is called Yama no Hi, or Mountain Day, and it comes every year on August 11. It is also the newest national holiday in Japan. The first Mountain Day was in 2016.
2Why mountains? About two thirds of Japan is covered by forest, and most of it grows on mountains. Rain and snow fall on the mountains and slowly become rivers. Mountains give people clean water, wood, and fresh air. The law says the day is for getting close to mountains and thanking them for their gifts.
3The date has a sad story behind it. At first, many lawmakers wanted August 12. But on August 12, 1985, a Japan Airlines plane crashed into a mountain in Gunma. In that accident, 520 people died. So the lawmakers chose the day before, August 11.
4Mountain Day comes in the middle of summer, so it is a great time to go hiking. The trails on Mount Fuji are open only in summer. Many climbers walk up at night and wait at the top for the sunrise. People call this sunrise goraiko. But mountains can be dangerous, and every year thousands of hikers need help. Many of them get lost.
5Mountain Day is also the start of summer vacation for many workers. Trains and highways get very busy as families go back to their hometowns for Obon. In 2020 and 2021, the holiday moved for the Tokyo Olympics. Now it is back on August 11, waiting for you and your hiking boots.
- national holiday 国民の祝日
- newest いちばん新しい
- forest 森、森林
- gift 贈り物、恵み
- lawmaker 国会議員、立法者
- crash 墜落する、衝突する／墜落事故
- hiking 山歩き、ハイキング
- trail 登山道、山道
- sunrise 日の出
- dangerous 危険な
- hometown ふるさと、生まれ育った町
- get lost 道に迷う