The second Monday of October is a national holiday of Japan, Health and Sports Day.

Qatar becomes one of the few nations to dedicate a day for sports, rather like Japan where the Health and Sports Day is celebrated.

In 2000, as a result of the Happy Monday Seido, Health and Sports Day was moved to the second Monday in October.

October was chosen for the unusually late Summer Olympics to avoid the Japanese rainy season, and Health and Sports Day continues to be one of the fairest days of the year.