Japan does not have an official national holiday called Veterans Day. The concept of a day specifically to honor all military veterans, living or dead, as it exists in the United States, does not have a direct equivalent in the modern Japanese calendar of public holidays. This absence is rooted in Japan's post-World War II history and its constitution.
There are, however, distinct days of observance that are sometimes conflated with the concept of Veterans Day. The most relevant is Self-Defense Forces Day (, Jieitai Kinen'bi), established to commemorate the founding of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) on July 1, 1954. While the anniversary is July 1, related events and reviews are often held in the autumn, typically around late October or early November. This day honors the mission and personnel of the JSDF, but it is not a public holiday and differs in scope and tone from the U.S. Veterans Day. Another significant date is August 15, known as the Memorial Day for the End of the War (, Shsen-kinenbi). This is a solemn day of remembrance to mourn the victims of the war and pray for peace, more analogous to Memorial Day than Veterans Day.
Ultimately, the lack of a "Veterans Day" in Japan reflects a unique national context shaped by its pacifist constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right. Commemorative practices focus on the JSDF's role in national defense and disaster relief, or on mourning the casualties of past conflicts in a context of praying for peace, rather than a broad celebration of military veterans' service.
