Established in 1996, Marine Day is a relatively new holiday in Japan. It was originally declared as July 20th, but with the revision of the Holiday Law, the holiday was changed to the third Monday of July. The Holiday Law defines Marine Day as a day “to be grateful for the blessings of the ocean and wish for the prosperity of the maritime nation of Japan.” Marine Day is based on Marine Memorial Day, established in 1941 to commemorate the return of Meiji Emperor Mutsuhito to Yokohama Port after a visit to the northeast area of Japan on the steamboat Meiji Maru in 1876. On Marine Day, events related to the ocean are held all over Japan.