Gosekku: Japan's Five Seasonal Festivals

Five dates built on odd numbers still shape what Japanese households eat, display and decorate across the year.

Published October 19, 2026 at 12:19 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Gosekku are five traditional seasonal observances held on January 7, March 3, May 5, July 7 and September 9. They come from Chinese calendar customs and were adopted by the Japanese court and later the samurai government. Today they survive as Nanakusa, Hinamatsuri, Children's Day, Tanabata and Choyo, each with its own food, plants and household rituals.

Why the dates are all odd numbers

The five sekku fall on days where the month and the day share the same odd number, except for the first, which uses the seventh day of the first month. In the old Chinese way of thinking, odd numbers carried a yang, or auspicious, energy, but a doubled odd number was thought to be unstable and a little risky. People answered that with purification, special foods and plants believed to ward off bad luck.

The word sekku refers to a seasonal turning point, a moment when the year shifts and the body needs care. The system arrived in Japan along with other continental customs, and aristocrats at the imperial court marked these days with banquets and ceremonies long before ordinary families did. The calendar itself later changed. Japan moved away from the old lunar-based calendar in the nineteenth century, so the dates now sit about a month earlier in the season than they once did. That is why some regions still celebrate certain festivals on a shifted date.

The five festivals in order

The year opens with Jinjitsu on January 7, better known as Nanakusa no Sekku, the day of seven spring herbs. Next comes Joshi, March 3, the Peach Festival also called Hinamatsuri, focused on girls. Tango no Sekku follows on May 5, now officially Children's Day and a national holiday. Shichiseki, July 7, is Tanabata, the star festival. The cycle closes with Choyo on September 9, the Chrysanthemum Festival. Each festival has a plant associated with it.

Spring herbs, peach blossoms, irises or mugwort, bamboo and chrysanthemums line up with the season in which they are available or at their peak, which is why the sekku function almost like a plant calendar. Not all five carry the same weight today. Hinamatsuri, Children's Day and Tanabata are widely visible in shops and schools. Nanakusa is quiet and domestic, while Choyo is the one most people have never heard of by name.

Nanakusa and the gentle porridge

On January 7 many households eat nanakusa-gayu, a rice porridge made with seven spring herbs. The traditional list is commonly given as seri (Japanese parsley), nazuna (shepherd's purse), gogyo, hakobera (chickweed), hotokenoza, suzuna (turnip) and suzushiro (daikon). Supermarkets sell ready-made herb packs in the days before, so no foraging is needed. The porridge is soft and mild, and the usual explanation is practical as well as symbolic: after the rich foods of the New Year holidays, a light dish gives the stomach a rest.

It is also eaten in the hope of good health through the coming year. If you are in Japan in early January, look for the herb sets near the vegetable section. Some restaurants and ryokan serve a small bowl of the porridge on that morning, and convenience stores often stock a seasonal version. Some households pound a small piece of mochi into the porridge as well, and shrines occasionally hold tasting events where visitors can try a spoonful of the herb porridge.

Hinamatsuri and Children's Day

Hinamatsuri on March 3 centers on a display of hina dolls dressed in Heian-style court clothing, arranged on tiered red stands. Families with daughters set them out in February. Foods include hishimochi (diamond-shaped layered rice cakes), hina-arare (colored rice crackers), chirashi-zushi and clam soup, the last of which is linked to the idea of a lifelong, well-matched partner because clam shells fit only their own pair. Tango no Sekku on May 5 traditionally belonged to boys, with carp streamers (koinobori) flying outside homes and samurai helmets (kabuto) displayed indoors.

The holiday is now officially Children's Day for all children and falls within Golden Week. Typical foods are kashiwamochi, a rice cake wrapped in an oak leaf, and chimaki, a sweet or savory rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or similar leaves. Many homes also take a bath with iris leaves on this day, a custom tied to the plant's strong scent and its role in warding off ill fortune.

Tanabata and Choyo

Tanabata on July 7 is based on a star legend about two lovers separated by the Milky Way who may meet once a year. People write wishes on colored paper strips called tanzaku and hang them on bamboo branches. Large Tanabata festivals, such as the well-known one in Sendai, are often held in early August, following the older seasonal timing. Choyo no Sekku on September 9 celebrates the chrysanthemum, associated with long life.

Historically people drank kiku sake with petals floating in the cup and covered flowers with cotton overnight to absorb dew, then used it to wipe the skin. Today this is mostly seen in shrine events and seasonal sweets shaped like the flower. Chestnut rice and autumn sweets are common seasonal foods around this date. Because Choyo is quiet, finding it usually means visiting a shrine or a traditional confectioner.

How to experience the sekku as a visitor

The easiest way in is food. Wagashi shops change their displays to follow the sekku, so a visit in early March shows pink and green hishi-mochi shapes, and early May brings leaf-wrapped sweets. Department store food halls (depachika) are a reliable place to see all of this at once. Shrines and museums sometimes hold doll displays in February and March, and some historic houses open their hina collections to the public.

Check the official site or local tourism office for current schedules, since dates and entry rules vary by venue. For Tanabata, look for bamboo branches in shopping arcades, stations and schools in early July. Many places provide paper strips and pens so visitors can add a wish. Seasonal stationery, tableware and decorations in department stores also change with each sekku, which makes shopping districts a pleasant place to notice the calendar at work.

Common mistakes and good manners

A frequent mix-up is treating Hinamatsuri and Children's Day as the same event. They sit on different dates, honor different traditions and use different decorations. Another is assuming all five are national holidays; only Children's Day on May 5 is an official day off. If you visit a home display, avoid touching the dolls or helmets, which are often family heirlooms.

A custom says hina dolls should be put away soon after March 3, and a long delay is jokingly said to postpone marriage, so you will usually see displays vanish quickly on March 4. When joining a Tanabata wish-writing station, keep wishes simple and positive. Hang your strip high if you can reach, and leave other people's strips untouched. It is also easy to forget that the dates follow the modern calendar, so a festival that feels early or late compared with an older lunar timing is simply following today's schedule in most regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the gosekku public holidays in Japan?

Only Children's Day on May 5 is a national holiday today. The other four are cultural observances that continue in homes, schools, shrines and shops, but offices and stores generally operate as usual on those dates. Because Children's Day falls inside Golden Week, it is the one that affects travel plans most, so book transport and lodging early for that period.

Why do the gosekku use plants so much?

The festivals mark seasonal turning points, and each pairs with a plant believed to protect health or bring luck. Spring herbs, peach, iris, bamboo and chrysanthemum all connect to the time of year and to purification customs from China. Many of the associated foods, such as nanakusa porridge and chrysanthemum sweets, also follow the same seasonal logic, which makes the plants easy to spot in shops.

What is the best sekku to see as a tourist?

Hinamatsuri and Tanabata are the most visible, with doll displays in late winter and bamboo wish branches in summer. Children's Day offers carp streamers during Golden Week. Choose based on the season you are traveling in and check local event listings. Department store food halls and wagashi shops show the seasonal sweets for each sekku, so even a short shopping stop can add a little festival atmosphere to a trip.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Tanabata Wishes: Writing on Tanzaku Strips, Kiku: Chrysanthemum Shows and the Imperial Flower and Japan's Matsuri Calendar: A Month-by-Month Overview.