Mountains play a large role in Japanese culture. So much so that the sprawling peaks have a special day on August 11. Yama-no-hi, or Mountain Day, is observed as a national holiday, but there is no official celebration.

In 2014, at the request of the Japanese Alpine Club, officials moved to legislate the official day. However, Yama-no-hi wouldn’t be implemented until 2016.

The National Holiday Act defines Mountain Day as a holiday to familiarize people with the mountains and appreciate their blessings.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, around 9.72 million people climb every year as of 2025.

The roughly 18,000 mountains in Japan account for about 75 percent of the Japanese archipelago, according to National Geographical Survey Institute.

The first Sunday of June was a strong candidate, but Aug. 11 was chosen as it is just before the traditional Obon period (Aug. 13-15), allowing people to take a longer leave— something the government has been pushing the hardworking people of Japan to do.

Employees in Japan will have the day off and government offices will be closed on Aug. 11, so plan ahead if you have official business. U.S. base Japanese employees will not have the day off on the holiday.

Happy Mountain Day!