Japan officially recognises Final Fantasy 7 Day

Square Enix has celebrated Final Fantasy 7’s 26th anniversary by registering the day as an official day of celebration in Japan.

Square Enix has celebrated the 26th anniversary of Final Fantasy 7 by registering the day with the Japan Anniversary Association.

Final Fantasy 7 was first launched on the PlayStation on January 31, 1997 in Japan, and it quickly became a smash hit both in Japan and overseas following its release in other regions later in 1997. The game was the first in the series to feature 3D graphics, and was made possible by the CD technology used by the original PlayStation.

The role playing game went on to sell over 14 million copies in the years since its release, and spawned a number of spin-offs, sequels, and media adaptations. Square Enix is currently in the process of remaking the game in a three-part series, the first of which was released in 2020.

Now, Square Enix has had the anniversary officially recognised by the Japan Anniversary Association, which designates days of celebration in Japan. Similar celebratory days instituted in the past are Goku Day, celebrating the protagonist of Dragon Ball Z, and One Piece Day, celebrating the long-running pirate anime series.

Final Fantasy 7 originally released on the PlayStation, where it became one of the best selling games on the platform.

To celebrate the anniversary, Final Fantasy 7 and director Yoshinori Kitase also released a statement on the official Final Fantasy 7 Twitter account, thanking fans for their support and reflecting on the game.

“The 31st of January 1997, the day Final Fantasy 7 came out, was not just a significant day for the Final Fantasy series, but also marked when so many big things started moving for those of us who worked on the game,” Kitase said, “I remember being overwhelmed at the breakneck speed with which video game technology was evolving, but also dreaming big things for the future. With the establishment of this official anniversary day, I will now always remember these things, and hold them dearly in my heart”.

We’re delighted to announce “Final Fantasy VII Day” has been officially registered in Japan, to commemorate the anniversary of the launch of the original game.

To celebrate, here’s a special message from Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the Final Fantasy VII remake project. pic.twitter.com/GBphY8AYR4

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) January 31, 2023

Final Fantasy 7 isn’t the only game in the series celebrating an anniversary. A little closer to home, Square Enix teamed up with local cooking content creator Miss Molly Makes to create some amazing treats celebrating a year of Australian servers for Final Fantasy 14, an MMO entry in the popular series.

Final Fantasy fans recently voted on the best character in the series on the series’ subreddit, in a multiple stage knockout tournament that saw highly popular characters pitted against each other. While a Final Fantasy 7 character didn’t win, several did make it through to the finals.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.