Somewhere Among  takes place in Japan 2001. Anniversaries, holidays, solstices, and historical events that Japan and the United States share were woven throughout the story. For verification and further study, I have included links to English sources. Links to other sources are included in each post on this website.

It is important to note that Sea Day and Respect for the Aged Day now fall on the third Monday of July and September respectively. That was not the case in 2001. Also note that moon-viewing is traditionally mid-September but it depends on the year  Check here for the holiday calendar for 2001.

Space/moon data and weather charts for west Tokyo were used as reference for the scenes.

For Japan 2001

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/japan/2001

Thurs. June 21, 2001 summer equinox                                           http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/longest-day/equinox-solstice-2000-2009.htm

Sun. July 1, 2001 Hawaii raising Ehime Maru, Star Bulletin                  http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/07/01/news/story5.html

Thurs. July 5, 2001 12 pm Japan; July 4 8pm CA world server time meeting planner http://www.worldtimeserver.com/meeting-planner-times.aspx?&L0=JP&Day=5&Mon=7&Y=2016&L1=US-CA&L2=&L3=&L4=&L5=&L6=&L7=

Sat. July 7, 2001 Tanabata, Kids Web Japan  

Thurs. July 12, 2001 textbook issue

BBC  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1435344.stm

Issues: History Books    George Washington University

Japan’s Refusal to Revise Textbooks Angers Neighbors    New York Times

North Korea Fires Missiles Over Japanese Territory New York Times Sept. 1, 1998 

North Korean Missile Flies over Japan into Pacific August 31, 1998

Fri. July 20, 2001 Sea Day (holiday is now on the third Monday of July, see link for 2001)
Sea Day Kids Web Japan
holidays Japan 2001

Sat. July 21, 2001 Japan time
July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 USA time         Smithsonian Air and Space  Museum Apollo 11

July 20, 2001 Ehime Maru mast removed USA time, Honolulu Star article
Honolulu Advertiser July 21, 2001

Mon. August 6, 2001 Hiroshima anniversary Washington Post

Thurs. August 9, 2001 Nagasaki anniversary, Koizumi visits Memorial 

Anglican News Memorial Prayers at Holy Trinity Church  Nagasaki Anniversary

Sat. August 11, 2001 launch of Discovery video NASA Television August 10 US time       
NASA pages

Expedition Three Crew

Russian and American docking 1975

Mon. August 13, 2001 Koizumi visit to Yasukuni Shrine Japan Times

Wed. August 15, 2001 announcement of Japan’s surrender
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/15/newsid_3581000/3581971.stm
http://time.com/3517476/v-j-day-1945-a-nation-lets-loose/
V-J Day http://www.thefreedictionary.com/V-J+Day

Sun. August 19, 2001 US Navy meets families of Ehime Maru victims, LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/19/news/mn-35900

Tues. August 21, 2001 Typhoon Pabuk, LA Times                                         http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/21/news/mn-36500

Wed. August 29, 2001 H2A launch,  Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/f1/index.html

Space Daily News
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/japan-h2a-01c.html

CBS News http://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-space-hopes-get-off-the-ground/

Friday, August 31, 2001 not mentioned in story, article on the Ehime Maru, Chicago Tribune
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/ehime-maru

Sat., September 1. 2001 full moon                                                                            http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2001&country=1

Sunday, September 2, 2001 formal surrender not mentioned in story http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/2/newsid_3582000/3582545.stm

Sat., September 8, 2001 Peace Treaty signed in SF mentioned on Day and on the stamp
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/alpha/learn/SanFran.htm

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 typhoon, LA Times                              http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/11/news/mn-44559

USA Today
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2001/09/10/japan-typhoon.htm

CNN.com
death toll http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WEATHER/09/11/japan.typhoon/

Sat., September 15, 2001 Respect for the Aged Day (now the third Monday of September) This holiday has become more like Grandparents Day over the years. But our obaachan always said it was for really old people. View the 2001 calendar

Tues. September 18, 2001 rice monitoring,  Japan Times http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/09/18/national/japan-rice-monitoring-team-to-be-received-by-pyongyang/#.VfUJcRyaK6Z

Wed. September 19 , 2001 Congress considers Gold Medals                                             Congress considering Gold Medals, CNN  http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/09/19/vic.medals/

Equinox in September 2001

Sun. September 23, 2001 Sunday equinox O & J going to graveyard
Mon. September 24, 2001 Monday national holiday; ride down by river
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/japan/autumn-equinox
Sun Sep 23 2001 Autumn Equinox National holiday
Mon Sep 24 2001 Autumn Equinox observed National holiday

Monday, October 1 – 7  2001 moon-viewing  The date changes every year according to the solar calendar. In 2001 the full moon was October 2. In the paperback edition of Somewhere Among, mochi pounding is not mentioned.  Dango (round balls) made of mochi (glutinous rice) are ubiquitous in our neighborhood during this time for decoration and for eating.                                                                                                                                                              moon phases October 2001 
http://kikuko-nagoya.com/html/tsukimi.html

Sunday, October 7, 2001 U.S. invades Afghanistan, World History Project https://worldhistoryproject.org/2001/10/7/united-states-invades-afghanistan

Sunday, October 14, 2001 Hawaii, LA Times
http://articles.latimes.com/print/2001/oct/14/news/mn-57124

Tues. October 16, 2001 Galileo passing by Jupiter’s moon, NASA news              http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2001/01-197.txt

Ehime Maru, Japan Times                                                                    http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/10/16/national/ehime-maru-moved-to-shallows/

Friday, October 19, 2001 bodies found on Ehime Maru, LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/19/news/mn-59143

Wed., October 24, 2001 IRA lay down arms yesterday; baby false alarm http://articles.philly.com/2001-10-24/news/25303290_1_international-disarmament-commission-party-leader-david-trimble-decommissioning-body

Thurs., Nov. 8, 2001 Hawaii time Ehime Maru recovery ends (watching in evening), CNN
http://articles.cnn.com/2001-11-08/us/hawaii.ehimemaru_1_uwajima-fisheries-high-school-navy-divers-ehime-maru?_s=PM:US

Search Ends for Last Ehime Maru Victim,                                                                                 CNN.com http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/11/08/hawaii.ehimemaru/

Monday, November 12, 2001 Japan Veterans Day hospital TV
Monday, November 19, 2001 Japan time meteor show
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast08nov_1/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6eg6ayQsOg&feature=related

mid-November gingko festival https://www.gotokyo.org/en/tourists/attractions/fourseasons/koyo.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/02/travel/tokyo-autumn-leaves/

Friday November 23, 2001 Labor Thanksgiving Japan; Thanksgiving 22 America
http://www.eltcalendar.com/events/2001/nov

Thurs. November 29, 2001 school art exhibition (my children’s actual)

Fri. November 30, 2001 Japan time, George Harrison passed away, NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/30/obituaries/30CND-HARR.html?pagewanted=all

Thurs., December 7, 2001 Memorial for Pearl Harbor                        https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=Ppc2TjrMBocC&pg=PA181&lpg=PA181&dq=pearl+harbor+memorial+on+December+7,+2001&source=bl&ots=XXyXIejcRc&sig=vYIMDR7tHtSlx2lEnc5HHX5v_ZU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjg3P6fk8vJAhXBKKYKHdG_BisQ6AEIMTAE#v=onepage&q=pearl%20harbor%20memorial%20on%20December%207%2C%202001&f=false

Washington Post article                                                                                     http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushtext_120701.html

LA Times 60th anniversary                                                                              http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/02/travel/tr-10613

Honolulu Advertiser 60th anniversary Pearl Harbor public events http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Nov/28/ln/ln10a.html

Pearl Harbor Memorial History Net http://www.historynet.com/pearl-harbor-memorial

Sat. December 8, 2001 anniversary of Pearl Harbor (Japan time); Princess going home
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-HB631_0223na_J_20150223004004.jpg

photos of Baby Princess                                                                                       http://www.gettyimages.co.jp/detail/%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E5%86%99%E7%9C%9F/crown-prince-naruhito-and-crown-princess-masako-cradling-her-%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E5%86%99%E7%9C%9F/114944239

CNN Princess going home                                                                                          http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/08/japan.baby/index.html

Tues. December 11, 2001 NY time ceremony on board shuttle
flags for heroes  http://nasasearch.nasa.gov/search?utf8=✓&affiliate=nasa&query=flag+for+heroes+and+families+2001

NASA

Shuttle, Station Honors September 11 victims

video of commemoration                                                                                  http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/shuttle/sts-108/html/fd7.html

medals
http://medals http://www.flight93friends.org/explore-learn/a-nation-remembers/medal

Thurs., December 14, 2001 annular eclipse not seen in Japan
http://www.hermit.org/eclipse/2001-12-14/

Wed., December 19, 2001 NASA will track Santa
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/note2edt/2001/n01-075.txt

Thurs. December 20, 2001 personal items from Ehime Maru, newspaper article the day after, Japan Times article http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/12/21/national/ehime-maru-items-returned-to-families/#.Vgtm2RyaLDo

Friday, December 21, 2001 snow, Jiichan’s return winter solstice

Monday, December 24, 2001  NASA helps Santa 

Our school did not follow this schedule in Kids Web Japan about final exams and winter break

January 2, 2001 New Year’s calligraphy 2001                                                                          ‘Kakizome’ Practice Perfects New Year’s Calligraphy     The Japan Times  December 28, 2001

School Calligraphy Here and There Japan

MISC.

Coordinated Universal Time – Current Time                                                                    National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboututc.shtml
example:     5:12 AM UTC on Wednesday, September 30 2:12 pm Japan

Sept. 10, 2014 Gold Medals, The Inquirer                                                    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/Flight-93-passengers-crew-receive-Congress-highest-honor.html

The Ehime Maru Memorial Draws Japan Tourists June 27, 2002, Honolulu Advertiser http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jun/27/br/br02p.html

World Peace Prayer Society                                                              http://www.worldpeace.org/about_history.html

cicadas                                                                                                             http://rurousha.blogspot.jp/2011/08/japans-cicadas-loud-enough-to-split.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2013/04/02/176012068/sing-fly-mate-die-here-come-the-cicadas

Feb. 2002 Ehime Maru Victims’ families gather                             http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Feb/10/ln/ln01a.html