I'll explore intriguing Japanese reactions to this question.
Someone well-versed in historical events and public anniversaries might craft an intelligent and witty answer. However, most people lack awareness of date-related events or anniversaries, leaving them puzzled when asked abruptly and without context.
In my case, I attempt to play with the answer before conceding. Why does this thinking work? The key lies in how numbers are pronounced in dates.
Japanese employs wordplay, known as mnemonic goroawase, using the reading of numbers to create new phrases and meaningful words. Since many Japanese, including myself, have engaged in goroawase since childhood, we often try to find answers using this word game.
Variety of Number Readings
To enjoy goroawase, you need to understand how to read numbers. For instance, the standard readings from 0 to 10 are as follows:
0: rei (or zero)
1: ichi
2: ni
3: san
4: shi (or yon)
5: go
6: roku
7: shichi (or nana)
8: hachi
9: ku (or kyu)
10: juu
Additionally, the Japanese language has different readings for numbers depending on how they are counted. For example, when counting from 1 to 10, the readings are as follows:
1: hito-tsu
2: futa-tsu
3: mi-ttsu
4: yo-ttsu
5: i-ttsu (or itsu-tsu)
6: mu-ttsu
7: nana-tsu
8: ya-ttsu
9: kokono-tsu
10: toh
By utilizing these readings, we can craft ways to transform mere numbers into word-like phrases or meaningful words.
Moreover, since any word that sounds like or signifies a number is acceptable, a fairly broad range of goroawase can be achieved.
For example, for 1, in addition to ’ichi,' 'i,' and 'hito,' 'hi,' 'bi,' 'pi,' 'hajime' (first), 'atama' (top), or the English word 'one' can be used, as well as 'bo' (bar) in its apparent form.
For 2, 'ni,' 'nin,' 'futa,' 'fu,' 'bu,' 'ji' (next), 'ahiru' (duck), etc.
For 3, 'san,' 'zan,' 'sa,' 'za,' 'mi,' 'min,' etc.
To summarize the sounds linked with numbers, the following can be considered.
0: rei, zero, o, maru (circle), wa (loop), en (ring), kara (empty), ...
1: ichi, hito, i, bi, pi, hajime (first), atama (top), ...
2: ni, futa, fu, bu, ji, nin, ahiru (duck), ...
3: san, mi, zan, sa, za, min, ...
4: shi, yon, yo, shin, sho, ...
5: go, itsu, ko, gon, ...
6: roku, mu, mutsu, ro, ru, ron, ...
7: nana, shichi, na, nan, ...
8: hachi, bachi, ya, yan, ba, pa, ...
9: kyu, ku, kun, gu, gyu, ...
10: toh, to, doh, do, ten, ...
Puzzle-Like Two-Digit Pattern
Basically, single-digit numbers combine to form phrases and words, but certain two or more-digit numbers are occasionally associated with the reading of a Kanji character.
For instance, 11 is written as 十一 in Kanji numerals. When arranged vertically, it can be interpreted as the character 士, leading to its designation as 'samurai.' The character 士 is linked to 武士 "bushi" (warrior), and it also carries the reading 'samurai.'
For example, certain months on the calendar have fewer than 31 days: February, April, June, September, and November. To aid in remembering them, Japanese people sometimes recall these months by arranging the numbers in a sequence and using goroawase, "ni(2) shi(4) mu(6) ku(9) samurai(11)." This is easy to recall because it resembles a phrase meaning "samurai facing west" 西(にし)向(む)く士(さむらい).
Word Association with the Date.
Now, let's determine what today is using the date as a clue.
January 5 is celebrated as イチゴの日 Strawberry Day due to the presence of ichi (1) and go (5) in the date.
August 10 combines 8(はち) hachi and 10(じゅう) ju, which aren't distinct words, but a playful twist gives us は ha and とう toh, creating ハートの日 Heart Day.
On August 21, 8(はち) hachi, 2(に) ni, and 1(いち) ichi take a playful turn to become ば ba, に ni, and い i, resulting in バニーの日 Bunny Day.
October 4 is recognized as 天使(てんし)の日 Ten shi no Hi (Day of Angels) derived from ten and shi, as ten translates into English as 'ten.'
Goroawase Are Popular in Japan
Social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram in Japan, is a thriving platform for this type of wordplay. Numerous hashtags utilize goroawase to creatively represent dates, and many individuals delight in sharing illustrations and performances inspired by these themes.
Some of the frequently encountered goroawase hashtags include:
January 3: #瞳(ひとみ)の日 hito-mi no hi (Eye Day)
January 5: #苺(いちご)の日 ichi-go no hi (Strawberry Day)
January 6: #色(いろ)の日 i-ro no hi (Color Day)
February 2: #ツインテールの日 twin-tail no hi (Twintail Day)
February 10: #ニットの日 ni-tto no hi (Knit Day)
April 6: #白(しろ)の日 shi-ro no hi (White Day)
April 10: #ショートカットの日 SHo-to-kaTTO no hi (Shortcut Day)
May 10: #メイドの日 may-do no hi (Maid Day)
August 7: #花(はな)の日 ha-na no hi (Flower Day)
August 9: #ハグの日 ha-gu no hi (Hug Day)
August 10: #ハートの日 haa-to no hi (Heart Day)
August 21: #バニーの日 ba-ni-i no hi (Bunny Day)
September 6: #黒(くろ)の日 ku-ro no hi (Black Day)
November 7: #いいおなかの日 i-i-oNAka no hi (Good Tummy Day)
November 11: #ポッキーの日 pocky no hi (Pocky Day)
November 22: #いい夫婦(ふうふ)の日 i-i-fu-fu no hi (Good Marriage Day)
November 25: #いい双子(ふたご)の日 i-i-futa-go no hi (Good Twins Day)
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