Believe it or not, many Japanese people go to the beach just once a year, go skiing for one day a year and have a BBQ . . . once a year! It's no wonder Western holidays such as Valentine's Day and Christmas have become so popular in Japan — they happen just one time a year! And it's no wonder that there is no room for Japanese events to happen year-round.
In the U.S., we often say, "That was so much fun, we should do it again next year!" But we seldom do. The Japanese adhere much more stringently to a once-a-year schedule.
Two motorcyclists, one from Shizuoka and one from Fukuoka, meet on Shiraishi Island and stay here for three days every year. They've been doing this for 25 years! During the rest of the year they have no contact with each other, one of them told me. "But around August, we email each other and set the date."