Updated May 28, 2026
Photo by Rognut via Pexels
Father's Day in Japan — From Casual Wear to Celebration
Much like the UK, Father’s Day, Chichi no Hi, is a relatively recent tradition in Japan, It was an American import that was first celebrated after World War II that didn’t gain much popularity until the 1980s.
Oddly, it was Japanese casual menswear and sportswear that brought Father’s Day to everyone’s attention. In 1954, three companies — Osaka Sportsman, Crown and Taiyo Sports — joined forces to form a men’s clothing association that later established Men’s Fashion Unity (MFU), an initiative that hosted men’s fashion and lifestyle awareness awards. In 1972, MFU launched a Best Dresser Award, which was followed by the inauguration of a Japan Father’s Day committee and the first Father’s Day Yellow Ribbon Campaign in 1982.
The colour yellow symbolises happiness, safety and protection — perhaps a slightly rose-tinted perception of all men in Japan. But it was the 1980s, and we can forgive the MFU, since it later steered its campaigns to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices as well as recognising achievements. Back to 1982, however. The first Yellow Ribbon Award was basically a “Best Dad”award and its winners were actors Juzo Itami and Yusuke Kawazu, singer Yoichi Sugawara, cyclist Toshiaki Fujishima and American baseball player Terry Whitfield, who was playing for the Seibu Lions at that time.
Sunflowers in rural Japan, by Shakir via Pexels
Japan's Best Dad Awards
What criteria made the celebrity winners such great fathers, we don’t actually know, but the initiative still runs today and involves various surveys looking for:
・Fathers who create a bright and happy home
・Practitioners of fatherhood studies
・Those who practice strict discipline
・Good educators who understand their children well
・Wonderful fathers in the eyes of their mothers and children
・Those who contribute to the welfare of society and promote being a good father
・Fathers who raise their children in a unique way
Last year’s award winners all dressed with yellow accessories and donned buttonhole sunflowers for the ceremony. They included the Governor of Saitama Prefecture who created an annual pocket-money salary system for his children to learn about living independently; the president and CEO of Cow Milk Soap, who truly treasures bath time with his kids; and singer-celebrity Daigo, who was so overcome with gratitude to his wife after giving birth to their children, he was reduced to a mass of tears.
Since the Yellow Ribbon campaign, Father’s Day in Japan is still celebrated by some with gifts of yellow roses, sunflowers or other flowers, or gifts wrapped with yellow ribbon. If inspired by the bright colour, take a look at our Sunlit Yellows collection and visit our Father’s Day selection for other ideas.
Celebrating a Japanese dad?
— or simply want to honour the day in the spirit it comes from? Here are a few phrases to know.
父の日おめでとう — Chichi no Hi omedetō — Happy Father's Day!
お父さん、ありがとう — Otōsan, arigatō — Thank you, Dad
いつも支えてくれてありがとう — Itsumo sasaete kurete arigatō — Thank you for always supporting me
A note on words for "father": Japanese has two common words for father. "Otōsan" (お父さん) is the warm, everyday term — the one children use to address their dad directly. "Chichi "(父) is more formal and reserved for referring to one's own father when speaking to others. You'll find "Chichi no Hi" (父の日) used for Father's Day itself, but if you're writing a card, "Otōsan" carries the warmth.
Fatherly Gifts
Here’s a few gift thoughts we've earmarked for some of the dads in our lives.
For more ideas visit our Gifts for Father's Day Collection.
Sanpu Sanyo maekake apron; Leftover by Rhythmos Leather Trinket Tray
For the father who takes pride in making, fixing, baking, growing. The Sanpu Sanyo Crystal Blue Long Apron draws on Japan's maekake tradition — the apron worn by merchants and artisans since the Muromachi Period — bringing together sailcloth canvas, woven sanada himo cord and hand-dyed tenugui cotton into something worth wearing in any kitchen, garden or workshop. The Rhythmos Leftover Tray — pressed by hand over wooden moulds from vegetable-tanned leather offcuts — is perfect for holding small objects and made to last. Keys, a watch, a pen; the small things that mark the rhythms of a day. Both are made in Japan with deep respect for traditional materials and craft, and both are gifts that will weather in a way that makes them even more personal with time.
Postalco Snap Pad A6; Moheim Swing Bin
For the father who keeps a clear head and an organised space. The Postalco A6 Snap Pad is the smallest in Postalco's much-loved top-binding series — compact enough to slip into a pocket, thoughtful enough to become a daily companion. Its pressed-cotton cover is designed to age and soften with use, taking on the character of whoever carries it. The Moheim Swing Bin, a Good Design Award winner, brings the same calm integrity to any room. Its wooden lid is cut with such precision that it balances perfectly without a fastening — a small, daily pleasure. Together they make purposeful Japanese design gifts for men who appreciate objects that don't just their job well but also look beautiful doing it.
Kinsho Binchotan Charcoal Body Wash Cloth ; Maki Baxter Concrete Pebble Incense Holder
For the father who deserves a moment to himself. The Kinsho Binchotan Wash Cloth is woven with activated charcoal from Wakayama — a region of Japan with over 300 years of charcoal-making history. Soft on the skin and antibacterial, its odour-absorbing charcoal refreshes with every wash, making it a bathroom essential with genuine longevity. The Maki Baxter Concrete Pebble Incense Holder, burnished by hand with a stone until it carries the smooth, settled weight of a beach find, brings a moment of stillness to any shelf or surface. Together they are a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe and take good care.