This national holiday is celebrated on the Third Monday in September.
Respect of the Aged Day, or Keiro no Hi, was established as a national holiday in 1966 to express respect for the elders in the community, and to recognise and thank them for their contributions to society and last but not least, celebrate their long lives.
Until 2003, the holiday was be held on 15 September. Since then, Respect for the Aged Day has instead been observed on the third Monday of September.
To honour their elders, many communities throw parties and offer special gifts to bring even more longevity to their lives.
Japanese citizens who became 100 years old in the 12 months before receive a silver sake dish on Respect the Aged Day.
Japanese media often take the opportunity to feature the older generations, reporting on the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country.
With improvements in healthcare, Japanese people are living longer than ever and the number of people over the age of 100 is expected to reach 32,000 next month.
One in five Japanese are aged 65 or older and Japanese women can expect to live to see their 85th birthday.
