February is book ended by two days celebrating the disputed territories that Japan claims but doesn’t control. February 7 is Northern Territories Day, when Japan commemorates the Soviet seizure of the Kuril Islands in 1945. The commemoration falls on the anniversary of an 1855 treaty with Russia that acknowledges Japan’s sovereignty over the four islands. In 2013, as Abe addressed an audience on the day, Russian jets intruded on the airspace over Hokkaido. Outside Hokkaido, however, there seems little interest in these annual rites.

Can Russia and Japan resolve the Kurils territorial dispute?

Takeshima Day on February 22 is when Japan asserts its claim to the South Korean-controlled Dokdo. The day was established by prefecture of Shimane officials envious of the central government fanfare in Hokkaido, hoping to nudge Tokyo to be more assertive on the issue. The government sends low-ranking officials to the city of Matsui, where black buses blare military songs from the 1930s and 1940s and anti-Korean invective. This display of patriotic fervour plays to an almost empty gallery. There is no Senkaku Day yet to boost Japan’s claims to those islets, perhaps because Japan denies there is any dispute.

Finally, lets not forget Foundation Day on February 11, the Japanese celebration of its founding in 660BC and the accession of the first emperor Jimmu. It was abolished in 1945 as a relic of Japanese militarism, but revived in 1966 as a day for commemorating mythic origins, displaying the national flag and muted patriotic devotions, meaning no fireworks as is common in other nations celebrating their genesis. The Japanese general disinterest in these nationalist celebrations, despite concerted conservative efforts, is perhaps the best cause for celebration.

Jeff Kingston is director of Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan