Father's Day in Japan falls on the third Sunday of June. The holiday gives people a chance to express their thanks for their fathers' love and hard work. Like Mother's Day, Father's Day came from the United States, and came to be celebrated in the years following the end of World War II. Compared with Mother's Day, however, Father's Day is not celebrated with quite as much enthusiasm. In 1998, one insurance company carried out a survey and found that while about 70% of households celebrated Mother's Day by giving presents or going out for a special meal, only about 50% of them did something similar for Father's Day. Florists in Japan are trying to get people to give roses to their fathers in June, just like they give carnations to their mothers in May, but the practice doesn't seem to be as popular. According to one department store, the most popular gifts given on Father's Day are polo and other casual shirts, followed by belts, wallets, and other leather accessories, with neckties coming in third. Not all presents are store-bought, of course. Many children say thanks to their dad in more personal ways--by writing him a letter, drawing him a picture, or cooking him a meal. Some elementary and middle schools mark Father's Day by holding special classes on a Sunday in June. For dads who spend all their weekdays working, this is a rare chance to see firsthand how their kids are doing in class.

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