Today is Friday the 13th!
What does this day mean for you?
You may not realize it, this day can be pretty scary for some people. Although this day isn't that popular in Japan, it is popular in other countries and cultures.
However, it isn't an entirely foreign idea. For some companies in Japan, the day of the week determines when people receive their salary. The Rokuyo calendar, in a way, is similar to this. For companies that follow this schedule, they often take extra effort to not pay their employees on unlucky days.
I reported on this before but Friday the 13th gained massive popular from the Friday the 13th movie series.
Even though Friday the 13th isn't all the popular in Japan quite yet, that hasn't stopped companies from trying to use this day to promote their own interests.
Right now, the TV show "世にも奇妙な物語" is trying to gain support by using Yahoo.co.jp. If you search "ががばば" you can receive a scare that can't otherwise receive.
What did you think? Where you scared? I thought it was pretty cool, myself.
I find it very interesting that over the past few years, the popularity of not only Friday the 13th but also similar holidays such as Hallooween have become more and more popular. I wonder if the cause is from the influence of Western culture or from some other reason. (Mike)
