May 9 Is Coined ‘Goku Day’ for a Surprisingly Obvious Reason
This will be the first Goku Day fans are celebrating without Akira Toriyama. But his legacy lives on, as fans of the Dragon Ball series around the world celebrate this important day. Goku Day isn’t just a long-standing tradition for fans. The event is an officially recognized holiday in Japan.
In 2015, the Japan Anniversary Association finally agreed to Toei Animation’s request to make Goku Day an official Japanese holiday. The day of celebration, which is May 9, is a play on words in Japanese. Five in kanji can be read as “Go” (五), and the character for nine can be read as “Ku” (九).
If the two characters are placed beside each other, it can be read as “Goku.”
What is Goku Day All About?
Everyone’s Goku Day celebrations are different. Treat it like a second birthday for Goku, where people make art of him, play Dragon Ball games, or even watch entire seasons and movies of the Dragon Ball series.
Fans would often reminisce about their favorite Goku battle scenes, and some would even spend time answering quizzes about Goku. But many others would buy merchandise, including new action figure collaborations. It’s all about showing appreciation to Goku, and fans have many ways of expressing their love for the character.
(featured image: Toei Animation)
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