A day for meat, 13 of them actually

Today, and February 9th annually, is Meat Day 肉の日. The 29th of every month is also "meat day", making a total of at least 13 meat days in Japan each year. The reason, simple, a "goroawase" (pun on the reading of numbers) on the date - 2 (ni) and 9 (ku) can be read as niku, meaning meat.  On February 9th, there are also five fish commemorations too, making it a very meaty day indeed!

The tradition began with the Prefectural Meat Consumer Countermeasures Council, which officially designated the 29th of each month as a day to promote meat consumption. Although the council didn’t formally declare February 9th as Meat Day, the public embraced it anyway, and it’s now widely treated as a second, equally enthusiastic celebration. The National Federation of Meat Cooperatives (Zen Nikuren) also runs nationwide campaigns on both dates, partnering with JA Zen‑Noh and other industry groups to promote meat through special events and store‑wide offers. 

The scale of these campaigns is surprisingly large—around 1,600 shops nationwide take part, from butcher counters to yakiniku chains. Some restaurants go all‑in with dramatic promotions. Beyond the 13 meat days mentioned in this post, there are also additional related anniversaries such as "Yakiniku Day" on August 29th and “Good Meat Day” on November 29.