Beauty Certificate Day
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What Is Beauty Certificate Day?
December 2nd is "Beauty Certificate Day" in Japan. It marks December 2, 2006, when the Bijin Benten shrine hall was built at Honjo Itsukushima Shrine in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. The day was established by the Bijin Benten town revitalization association, formed in the wake of that dedication. The same date is also when the first beauty certificate was issued.
What Is Certified Is Kindness, Not Appearance
The "beauty certificate" is a paper issued at the Bijin Benten hall, attesting that the bearer is a gentle and refined person. It is an unusual thing for a shrine to hand out, and the "beauty" it refers to is beauty of heart, not of face.
- Origin of the date: the Bijin Benten hall was built at Honjo Itsukushima Shrine on December 2, 2006
- Established by: the Bijin Benten town revitalization association
- Bijin Benten: a Benzaiten hall enshrining the deity Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto
- When issued: on the first and third Sundays of each month, when the hall's doors are opened
A Town Revitalization Effort Called "Ashikaga, Land of Beauty"
The purpose of the day is to spread awareness of the kind-hearted Bijin Benten and of Ashikaga as a "land of beautiful people." Ashikaga is a historic city known for the Ashikaga School and Banna-ji temple, and Bijin Benten is a relatively recent addition to its sights. Because the certificate is issued only on certain days, check the Sunday schedule before visiting.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Look up Ashikaga's Bijin Benten and its beauty certificate
- Reconsider what "beauty" means apart from appearance
- Add Ashikaga's sights, like the Ashikaga School and Banna-ji, to your travel list
- When you notice someone's kindness, say so out loud
A Town's Wish, Printed on a Single Sheet
The beauty certificate does not measure looks; it acknowledges a way of being. December 2nd is a day to shift the standard slightly and think again.