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Japan celebrates Thanksgiving on November 23rd of each year. It is not related to or should be confused with the American Thanksgiving, but it is, in fact, a true Japanese holiday that shares it's name. The Japanese Thanksgiving, or "Kinro kansha no hi" is usually refered to as Labor Thanksgiving Day. It is a national holiday, and it's purpose is to give thanks to each other for the work that they have done throughout the year, and to celebrate the fruits of that labor.

Labor Thanksgiving Day is actually the modern name for Niinamesai, a Shinto celebration where some of the newly harvested rice is offered up to the kami (kami is a Shinto concept that is quite complex and multifaceted, but in the broadest sense it means spirits; it can also refer to Shinto deities, among many other things.) Niinamesai came to be held on November 23rd in the Meiji period (1868 - 1912) of Japan, but it is said to have been celebrated in November as far back as 678.

After the end of World War II, Labor Thanksgiving Day was established on the same day, to mark changes in the Japanese constitution that fostered human rights and increased rights for workers. Today, Niinamesai is still celebrated on the 23rd, but it is separate and much more private, held by the Imperial family. Labor Thanksgiving Day events are held throughout Japan, with a focus on peace, human rights and environmental concerns. Often, grade school children will honor local police with drawings to commend them for their service. I'm not sure if there is a feast, like we Americans have, but it is definitely a possibility, due to it's roots in the harvest festival.

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