While Japan has several days set aside for giving thanks to specific people – workers, parents, elders, etc., there is a lesser-known holiday simply for saying “thank you”. This is not a holiday with a long and culturally significant tradition behind it, rather it is because the numbers 3 and 9 are read as san-kyuu, which is pronounced very closely to the English “thank you.” When March 9 rolls around this year, lets remember to say an extra thank you to everyone!