Why Japan celebrates May 09?

May 09 holds significant importance in the Japanese animi world as they celebrate it as the Goku Day, marking iconic Dragon Ball anniversary.

The franchise was created by Japanese artist Akira Toriyama, who died a couple of months ago at the age of 68.

The Dragon Ball hit Japanese shelves back in 1984 and captured the imaginations of thousands who still harbour fond memories of the comic decades later.

The comic revolves around Son Goku, who was trained by his grandfather to fight. He joined city girl Bulma on her quest to find seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls.

Along the way, they encountered other characters also seeking the spheres. Across 519 chapters, Goku triumphed over many obstacles and faced ever-stronger adversaries.

The series was concluded after more than a decade, Goku had mastered various martial arts, defended Earth against villains.

Fans of the series celebrate the protagonist on May 9, which has been certified as an anniversary and registered with the Japanese Anniversary Association, according to the official Dragon Ball website.

It is celebrated as Goku Day, as the “5” and “9” in the written date can be read as “Go” and “Ku” in Japanese.

In the late 1990s, Dragon Ball Z, which followed an adult Goku, found commercial success in America.

The show and its spin-offs have mostly remained on air there ever since.

In 2018, several cities across Latin America held watch parties for the last few episodes of the first season of Dragon Ball Super.

Nearly 40 years since the media franchise kicked off, it has grown into an empire comprising five television series, 21 animated films, over 150 games and more.