Today is Marine Day

Umino-no-hi, or Marine Day is observed on the third Sunday of July. It promotes awareness of the benefits of the sea,and celebrate the nation's maritime prosperity.

National law establishes Marine Day as a day of gratitude for the blessings of the oceans and to hope for the economic prosperity of maritime Japan. Prior to 1996, it was known as Marine Memorial Day, and was not a holiday. In 1996, it became a national holiday, with its date fixed as July 20. An amendment to the law was made in 2003 to set the holiday on a Monday.