Oyaji Day (Dad's Day)

What Is Oyaji Day?

August 20th is "Oyaji Day" in Japan, established by Top Coaching Stadium Co., Ltd. of Miyakojima Ward, Osaka, a consulting firm that advocates "coach-style fathers" and helps with business succession and generational change, and registered with the Japan Anniversary Association. The date comes from a pun on "o (0) ya (8) ji (20)," meaning "oyaji," a casual word for "dad."

A Playful Pun Carrying Deep Affection for Fathers

This anniversary offers a chance to reflect on fathers from a different angle than June's "Father's Day."

• The date's origin: established from a pun reading the date's numbers as "o (0) ya (8) ji (20)," together forming "oyaji"
• The word "oyaji": more casual than the formal word for "father," "oyaji" carries an affectionate familiarity beneath its slightly bashful tone
• The company behind it: a business coach for small and medium-sized companies, it offers coaching on business succession with a focus on communication between parents and children
• A sister observance: the same company designated June 6 as "Day to Encourage Sons-in-Law," from a pun on "mu (6)-sume, mu (6)-ko"

Complicated Feelings That Are Hard to Put Into Words

Compared to mothers, many people find it harder to put their gratitude toward their fathers into words. "Oyaji Day" offers a small nudge to get past that awkwardness.

Fathers in the Family Business

The company supports succession in family businesses, where a company passes from parent to child. A father who is the company president and the child who will succeed him are both parent and child and boss and subordinate -- which can make honest conversation harder, not easier. Its idea of the "coach-style father," who listens and draws out the other person's thinking like a coach rather than simply giving instructions, is meant to encourage that dialogue.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Call or message your father to share how you're doing
• Make time to share a drink or a meal together
• Look back on a cherished memory with your father
• Put gratitude you don't usually voice into a letter or note

Behind the Bashfulness, an Unchanging Bond Between Parent and Child

The word "oyaji" carries, however clumsily, gratitude and love that's hard to say face-to-face. Let August 20th be a chance to be just a little more honest with the "oyaji" in your life.