Older Sister’s Day in Japan Date in the current year: December 6, 2025

Older Sister’s Day was created by Japanese manga artist, author, and culture researcher Kunio Hatada. While researching sibling relationships in the early 1990s, Hatada came up with the idea of celebrating Younger Sister’s Day. He chose September 6 as the date of the new holiday through an astrological concept: he associated the Virgo sign with the ideal image of a younger sister, seeing it as a symbol of purity and affection. September 6 falls one day before Virgo reaches the midpoint of its usual span, from August 23 to September 22.

Hatada then expanded the idea to include other siblings, introducing three additional holidays spaced three months apart. Consequently, Older Sister’s Day is celebrated on December 6. It is less popular than Younger Sister’s Day, probably because it has not received as much promotion. It is primarily celebrated by manga and anime fans, who use the day to honor iconic older sisters in their favorite stories.

According to websites such as CBR and Ranker, some of the most iconic older sisters in anime and manga include Mirajane Strauss from Fairy Tail, Tsuyu Asui from My Hero Academia, Saki Hanajima from Fruits Basket, Temari from Naruto, Toka Takanashi from Love, Chuunibyo & Other Delusions, Kyoko Hori from Horimiya, Ruri from Dr. Stone, Olivier Mira Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Akari Kawamoto from March Comes in Like a Lion, Satsuki Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro, Yor Forger from Spy x Family, Mai Sakurajima from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Shizuru Kuwabara from Yu Yu Hakusho, Yui Hirasawa from K-On!, Ichika Nakano from The Quintessential Quintuplets, Manami Mitama from A Centaur’s Life, Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill, Rin Tohsaka from Fate/stay night, Ishizu Ishtar from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Tae Shimura from Gintama, Tatsumaki from One-Punch Man, Touka Kirishima from Tokyo Ghoul, Katarina Claes from My Next Life as a Villainess, Shoko Komi from Komi Can’t Communicate, and Misaki Ayuzawa from Maid Sama!

Although Older Sister’s Day is a Japanese holiday, it can be celebrated anywhere because big sisters everywhere deserve recognition and gratitude. If you have an older sister, consider giving her a gift, taking her out to dinner, or reminiscing about your favorite moments together. You can also share your favorite sibling memories on social media using the hashtags #OlderSistersDay and #BigSistersDay.