[What Day Is Today] July 21st

What kind of historical events happened on July 21st?
Is there any special event today?
Please use this for a little conversation at home with elementary school students.
※Events in Japan up to 1872 use the lunar calendar.

Events and Anniversaries

1. Shinto Wedding Anniversary

July 21st is "Shinto Wedding Anniversary."
It commemorates the first Shinto wedding ceremony held for the general public in Japan on July 21, 1900 (Meiji 33) at Hibiya Daijingu (now Tokyo Daijingu) in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

Until then, it was common in Japan for wedding ceremonies to be held at home. The mainstream style was for relatives and neighbors to gather to celebrate the bond between families, and there was almost no custom of holding weddings at shrines.

However, after the wedding ceremony of the then-Crown Prince (later Emperor Taisho) was held in the Shinto style in 1900, Shinto weddings spread among the general public. Today, the sight of a wedding held at a shrine with the bride and groom wearing a white kimono (shiromuku) and a formal kimono with a hakama (montsuki hakama) is widely known as a traditional Japanese wedding.

In a Shinto wedding, ceremonies based on ancient Japanese Shinto are performed, such as san-san-kudo (the exchange of nuptial cups) and the offering of tamagushi. In recent years, weddings held in chapels or in front of guests have increased, but there are still many people who choose a Shinto ceremony because they want to cherish Japanese culture.

2. Day of the Three Most Scenic Spots in Japan

July 21st is the "Day of the Three Most Scenic Spots in Japan."
It originates from the early Edo period Confucian scholar Hayashi Shunsai (Hayashi Gaho), who introduced the three locations of "Matsushima," "Amanohashidate," and "Miyajima" as Japan's representative scenic spots in his book "Nihon Koku Jiseki Ko."

Matsushima is located in Miyagi Prefecture and is known for its beautiful scenery with about 260 islands floating in the bay. It is also known as a place for oyster farming, and it is now common for tourists to view many uninhabited islands from the sea on sightseeing boats. During the Great East Japan Earthquake, the islands absorbed the tsunami, which helped to reduce the damage to some extent.

Amanohashidate is located in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, and it was named because the sandbar looks like a bridge leading to heaven. The sandbar is constantly growing due to sand carried by the waves, and while it was not connected during the Muromachi period, it is now almost connected to the opposite shore. It is also known from Sesshu's ink paintings.

And Miyajima is an island in Hiroshima Prefecture where Itsukushima Shrine is located, and the great torii gate floating in the sea is one of Japan's representative landscapes. The island itself is considered sacred, and the shrine buildings of Itsukushima Shrine were built on the sea. It is also known for the scenery changing with the high and low tides.

These three scenic spots have been cherished as "the most beautiful scenery in Japan" for about 400 years. Today, all of them are popular tourist destinations visited by many tourists from both Japan and abroad.

3. Silkie Chicken Day

July 21 is "Silkie Chicken Day".

The Silkie is a breed of chicken originating from China. While many have white feathers, they have the very rare characteristic of having black skin, bones, and beaks. For this reason, it was named "Silkie" (literally "black-boned chicken"), meaning "a chicken with bones as black as a crow".

In China, they have long been prized as birds with excellent nourishing and tonic properties, and it is believed they were introduced to Japan before the Edo period. Today, some varieties are designated as natural monuments and are carefully raised throughout the country.

Silkies are particularly famous for their eggs. Although they lay fewer eggs than common chickens, they are considered to have high nutritional value and are popular as a luxury food ingredient. They are also known as a local specialty in prefectures such as Ishikawa and Gifu.

4. Natural Park Day

July 21 is "Natural Park Day".
It commemorates the enactment of the "Natural Parks Act" on July 21, 1957. This law was created with the goal of protecting Japan's beautiful nature while allowing many people to use it safely.

In Japan, there are three types of natural parks: national parks, quasi-national parks, and prefectural natural parks. Among these, national parks are parks where the state manages beautiful natural landscapes that represent Japan. Currently, in Japan, there are 35 national parks, which are managed by the Ministry of the Environment.
The most recently registered one is the "Hidaka-sanmyaku Erimo-Tokachi National Park," designated on June 25, 2024.
While national parks used to appear frequently in junior high school entrance exams, the scope of questions has become more limited recently.

What Happened on This Day

1. July 21, 1856: The first American Consul General, Townsend Harris, arrives in Shimoda, Izu.

Three years earlier, in 1853, the American Perry led the Black Ships to Uraga and demanded that Japan open its country. The Edo Shogunate concluded the "Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan" in the following year, 1854, opening the two ports of Shimoda and Hakodate (present-day Hakodate).
Through this treaty, the United States gained the right to establish a consulate in Shimoda, and the person dispatched as the first Consul General was Harris.

Harris began his activities using Gyokusen-ji Temple in Shimoda as a consulate and continued negotiations with the Shogunate, seeking full-scale trade with Japan. He also went to Edo and met with the 13th Shogun, Tokugawa Iesada.
As a result, the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan was concluded in 1858. However, this treaty was called an unequal treaty because it contained many disadvantageous terms for Japan, such as granting consular jurisdiction (extraterritoriality) to foreign countries and Japan losing its tariff autonomy.

2. July 21, 1881: The Hokkaido Development Commission (Kaitakushi) Government Property Disposal Incident

To promote the development of Hokkaido, the Meiji government established a government office called the "Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development Commission)," and under its supervision, sent many "Tondenhei" (soldier-settlers) to Hokkaido, and used national funds to develop mines, farms, and more.
However, in 1881, it was revealed that the head of the Kaitakushi, Kiyotaka Kuroda, who was from Satsuma, was planning to sell those facilities at a very low price to businessmen also from Satsuma, such as Tomoatsu Godai.

When this plan was reported in the newspapers, it received heavy criticism, with people saying, "It is unfair to sell off national assets cheaply to a select few." People who were promoting the Freedom and People's Rights Movement also strictly questioned the government, and the sale was canceled.

Furthermore, this incident had a major impact within the government.
Shigenobu Okuma, who strictly questioned this incident, gained public opinion on his side and exerted a major influence on politics. However, this conversely created conflict with Hirobumi Ito, and Okuma was ousted from the government by Ito and other Choshu politicians. This is called the "Meiji 14 Political Crisis".
Shigenobu Okuma, who had advocated for the early opening of the National Diet, aligned himself with the Freedom and People's Rights Movement led by Taisuke Itagaki after leaving the government.
In response, the government centered on Ito announced the "Imperial Rescript on the Opening of the National Diet" in the same year, 1881, promising to "open the National Diet in 1890," and began preparations for the Diet and the Constitution under government leadership.

3. July 21, 1960: Sirimavo Bandaranaike becomes the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). This was a historic event, marking the first time in the world that a woman became Prime Minister through a democratic election.

Bandaranaike was the wife of Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike, who had been assassinated the previous year. After her husband's death, she became the leader of the political party, fought in the general election, won, and took office as Prime Minister. At that time, it was common for men to hold the center of politics in countries around the world, and it was extremely rare for a woman to become a national leader.

After taking office as Prime Minister, she worked to improve education, healthcare, and welfare, while actively participating in the "Non-Aligned Movement," which belonged to neither the United States nor the Soviet Union during the Cold War. She served as Prime Minister three times in total and had a significant impact on Sri Lankan politics.

④ July 21, 1948: Circulation of Japanese Yen prohibited in Okinawa, B-Yen becomes official currency

In Okinawa, which was under American administration, the circulation of Japanese Yen was prohibited, and a currency called the "B-Yen" became the official legal tender.

After World War II, Japan was placed under the occupation of the Allied Forces, but unlike the mainland, Okinawa remained under direct military rule by the United States. To manage Okinawa's economy, the U.S. circulated the B-Yen, which it issued independently, rather than the Japanese Yen. By the way, it seems the A-Yen was designed with the intention of being used on the Korean Peninsula.

Later, in 1958, the U.S. Dollar replaced the B-Yen as the official currency, and furthermore, with the reversion of Okinawa in 1972, the Japanese Yen came back into use. Under U.S. administration, unlike the left-hand traffic on the Japanese mainland, Okinawa followed the American practice of
right-hand traffic. This also shows that Okinawa has walked a different history from the mainland.

⑤ July 21, 1952: Subversive Activities Prevention Act enacted and Public Security Intelligence Agency established

After World War II, while democratization was being promoted in Japan, the intensification of the Cold War led to problems with radical political activities and violent incidents within the country. In this situation, the Subversive Activities Prevention Act (commonly known as the Habo-ho) was enacted to prevent activities that disrupt the state and society through violence.

On May 1, 1952, the "Bloody May Day Incident", in which a crowd opposing government policy turned into a mob and caused deaths, triggered the enactment of the law.
This law allowed for the restriction of activities or the designation of dissolution for organizations that repeatedly engage in violent activities such as bombings and arson. Furthermore, the Public Security Intelligence Agency, an external organ of the Ministry of Justice, was established as the agency responsible for investigating and gathering information on these matters.

Unlike the police, the Public Security Intelligence Agency is not an agency that conducts criminal investigations or makes arrests. Its main role is to collect and analyze information regarding domestic and international public security and report it to the government. Even today, it continues to collect information on counter-terrorism, extremist organizations, and international affairs.

⑥ July 21, 1970 Completion of the Aswan High Dam

The Aswan High Dam, which had been under construction on the Nile River in southern Egypt, was completed. This dam is one of the largest in the world and is a major national project.

In Egypt, agriculture has long developed due to the fertile soil brought by the flooding of the Nile River. There is a saying, "Egypt is the gift of the Nile." However, there were many damages caused by floods and droughts, making it difficult to conduct stable agriculture. That is why the Aswan High Dam was built.
With the completion of the dam, water became available year-round,

farmland expanded, and a large amount of electricity was generated through hydroelectric power. On the other hand, new problems arose, such as the impact on farmland due to the decrease in sediment flowing downstream of the Nile River and the forced relocation of many residents due to the construction of Lake Nasser, a huge artificial lake.

Also, the Abu Simbel temples, which were in danger of being submerged in the lake, were relocated to higher ground through international cooperation centered on UNESCO. The protection of these temples triggered the start of the World Heritage system, and this project is known as a symbolic initiative for World Heritage protection.

⑦ July 21, 2009 Dissolution of the House of Representatives

The Prime Minister at the time was Taro Aso. However, support for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had declined due to the global economic downturn caused by the Lehman Shock that occurred the previous year, pension issues, and scandals within the LDP. In the 45th general election of members of the House of Representatives held after the dissolution, the Democratic Party of Japan won a landslide victory with 308 seats, and the LDP suffered a historic defeat.

As a result, Yukio Hatoyama of the Democratic Party of Japan became Prime Minister, and for the first time since the establishment of the Hosokawa Cabinet in 1993 following the "1955 system," the LDP-centered government changed again. This event is a representative example of Japanese voters changing the government through an election.

However, the subsequent Democratic Party of Japan administration faced various challenges, such as unfulfilled manifestos, the response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, and consumption tax issues. In 2012, the LDP returned to power, and the second Shinzo Abe Cabinet was formed.

⑧ July 21, 2011 End of the Space Shuttle Program

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle "Atlantis" returned to Earth, and the space shuttle program, which had continued for 30 years, ended.

The space shuttle, which made its first flight in 1981, was the world's first reusable spacecraft. Previous spacecraft were disposable after one launch, but the space shuttle was a revolutionary spacecraft that could be maintained and launched again after returning.

It flew 135 times over 30 years, launched many artificial satellites, and contributed significantly to the construction of the International Space Station (ISS). On the other hand, many astronauts lost their lives in the 1986 Challenger explosion and the 2003 Columbia disintegration accident.

After the program ended, the United States did not have its own manned spacecraft for a while and used Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to send astronauts to the ISS. Since then, the spacecraft "Crew Dragon" developed by the private company SpaceX has been put into practical use, and a new era of space development has begun.

Birthdays

1. July 21, 1899 - Hemingway

Born in the United States, Hemingway served as an ambulance driver during World War I, and based on that experience, he wrote "A Farewell to Arms." He also left behind many masterpieces, such as "For Whom the Bell Tolls," which is based on the Spanish Civil War, and "The Old Man and the Sea," which depicts the life of an old fisherman.

In 1953, he won the Pulitzer Prize for "The Old Man and the Sea," and the following year, in 1954, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
On the other hand, while Hemingway lived an active life involving fishing, hunting, and war reporting, he suffered from illness in his later years and passed away in 1961.

Date of Death

* July 21st is not the date of death of any person particularly important for middle school entrance exams.