Today is February 23rd. It is a national holiday, the “Emperor’s Birthday.” By the way, a “national holiday” is a day designated by the country’s law as a day off, while a “festival day” is a day on which religious ceremonies are performed but not necessarily a holiday. Also, it is not correct to refer to the current emperor as “Reiwa Emperor.” The same applies to the former emperor, “Heisei Emperor.” The term used for emperors, like “Showa Emperor,” is called “okurina” and is a posthumous title given to honor the virtues of a person after their death, and it cannot be used until their passing. Referring to the  emperor by two generations ago as the “Showa Emperor” is the correct expression.
Additionally, today, February 23rd, with its numerical wordplay on “223,” is also known as “Fuji-san (Mount Fuji) Day.” This year, with the easing of the pandemic, many tourists from around the world are visiting Japan. Among the places tourists wish to visit, “Mount Fuji” is always a popular choice. Mount Fuji is not only well-known globally but is also designated as a World Heritage Site. Its perfectly balanced appearance is the secret to its popularity. It’s not an exaggeration to say it is the most beautiful mountain in the world. However, opinions on what constitutes balance or beauty vary from person to person. Some may argue that the sharp pyramid shape of the Matterhorn (Switzerland), an aspirational mountain for climAdditionally, today, February 23rd, with its numerical wordplay on “223,” is also known as “Fuji-san (Mount Fuji) Day.” This year, with the easing of the pandemic, many tourists from around the world are visiting Japan. Among the places tourists wish to visit, “Mount Fuji” is always a popular bers, is the most beautiful. Others might prefer Mount Teide (Spain), an extinct volcano in the Canary Islands that offers magnificent views from its summit. If you’re Chinese, Mount Tai might be your choice, or you might choose the unexplored peak of Meili Snow Mountain (Bailey Setsuzan, Minling Kangri) in the remote Tibetan region. Still, Mount Fuji remains the best in the world. Its majestic and solid presence never fails to impress, standing as the only mountain among the world’s renowned peaks designated as a “World Heritage Site.” It has been revered in the hearts of the Japanese people as a spiritual anchor since ancient times, and no other mountain has been talked about, sung about, and depicted as much as Mount Fuji.

今日は2月23日。「天皇誕生日」の祝日です。ちなみに、「祝日」とは国の法律で定められた休日で、「祭日」は宗教的な儀式が行われる日で休日ではありません。また、今の天皇を「令和天皇」という言い方も正しくありません。今の上皇を「平成天皇」と言うのも正しくありません。「〇〇天皇」という呼び方は　諡(おくりな)と言って、「人の死後にその徳をたたえて贈る称号」で、崩御されるまでは使うことができない呼び名だからです。「昭和天皇」という言い方は正しい言い方になります。
また今日は２月２３日の数字だけをとった２２３の語呂合わせで「ふじさん（富士山）」の日でもあります。今年はコロナ明けもあって世界から多くの観光客が日本を訪れています。その観光客が行ってみたいところには必ず「富士山」が選ばれます。それほど富士山は世界に知られている世界文化遺産の山でもあります。何といってもその均整の取れた山容が人気の秘密です。世界一美しい山だといっても過言ではありません。ただ、均整がとれたとか美しいという言葉は人によって取り方は様々です。鋭いピラミッド型をした山で、登山家にとって憧れの山であるマッターホルン（スイス）を世界一に挙げる人もいれば、カナリア諸島にある休火山で、山頂からは壮大な景色を楽しめるテイデ山（スペイン）を挙げる人もいます。中国人なら泰山を挙げるかもしれませんし、チベット奥地にある未踏峰の梅里雪山（ばいりせつざん、ミンリンカンリ）を挙げるかもしれません。しかしやっぱり富士山が世界一です。どっしりと佇むその美しい姿は何度見ても圧倒されます。世界の名だたる山の中でも「世界文化遺産」に挙げられている唯一の山でもあります。日本人の心の拠り所として太古の昔から信仰され、これほど多くを語られ、歌われ、描かれてきた山はないからです。