Labor Thanksgiving

⚠️ Pyn note to HR: Update this message to reflect any available events or ERGs.

On Labor Thanksgiving (“Kinrō Kansha no Hi”), celebrated on November 23, Japan honors the hard work of its workers. Labor Thanksgiving is based on the Autumn Harvest Festival (“Niinamesai”) that occurred more than 2,000 years ago, during which people celebrated the autumn harvest, with the holiday officially held on November 23 during the Meiji Era (between 1868 and 1912). After WWII, the Japanese government re-introduced Labor Thanksgiving as a formal holiday.

Today, Labor Thanksgiving is celebrated with events that honor hard work. Businesses may hold labor organization events and meetings to discuss workers’ rights and celebrate employees’ achievements. Schools encourage children to make art, cards, and gifts that are given to workers—particularly firefighters, medical professionals, and police officers.

In the city of Nagano, a Labor Festival is held and attended by multiple labor organizations to promote environmental issues, peace, and workers’ rights. The Labor Festival runs alongside the Nagano Ebisuko Fireworks Festival, which is named one of the gods of Shintoism. The festival is known for its fireworks, with more than 400,000 people enjoying each of the festivals simultaneously.

How to prepare:

Thank you for all your hard work! In honor of Labor Thanksgiving, our offices will be closed on [insert date]. Please make sure to turn on your out-of-office message before leaving for the holiday.

How we’re celebrating Labor Thanksgiving at [company.name]

Labor Thanksgiving is a celebration of hard work. And to thank you for all of the hard work you do for [company.name], we invite you to join us in our Labor Thanksgiving celebrations, including:

• [Insert event]
• [Insert event]
• [Insert event]