THE FACTS Greenery Day is celebrated on April 29 and marks the start of "Golden Week." This is a day that has been set aside for nature appreciation. Until 1988, April 29 was celebrated as the birthday of Emperor Showa. It was decided to keep this day a holiday even after his passing away in January 1989 and to name it Greenery Day because of the late Emperor's love of nature.

On this day, commemorative plantings of trees are held around the country, as are many events that bring people closer to nature. THE SCENE On Greenery Day in 1997, gatherings aimed at appreciating nature took place in Shinjuku Gyoen, a big park in the middle of Tokyo. A walkathon was held to get people to think about the natural environment, including how birds and plants live, and about environmental problems like global warming and growing volumes of waste. A lot of kids participated in this event. Participants were asked to answer questions about the environment along the walkathon route. Storytellers described how environmental problems were affecting the earth, and schoolchildren spent a day exploring the park's natural terrain while learning about the importance of looking after the natural environment around them.

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