When coming to Japan for a trip, it’s important to be aware of the “national holidays and public holidays” in Japan. When your holiday coincides with Japanese holidays, transportation can be crowded, and tourist destinations and hotels may be busy, affecting your schedule. Particularly during “Golden Week,” caution is advised. I hope this information serves as a helpful reference when planning your itinerary.
Tourist destinations refer to places like theme parks such as Disneyland, castles, World Heritage sites, and natural landmarks.
Saturday/Sunday: These are typical holidays in Japan. Many companies are also closed, so these days tend to be more crowded compared to weekdays (Monday to Friday).
Golden Week: April 29th, May 3rd, May 4th, and May 5th are national holidays in Japan. Although it might not seem like a large holiday period, when national holidays coincide with Sundays, the following Monday becomes a “substitute holiday.” Additionally, many people take paid leave from April 30th to May 2nd, resulting in a large-scale holiday period.
Taking 2024 as an example:
April 27th is a Saturday. May 6th is a Monday, but it’s a substitute holiday. If people take paid leave from April 30th to May 2nd, it will result in a 10-day Golden Week holiday from April 27th to May 6th.
Year-End/New Year Holidays: Although not explicitly marked on the calendar, the period around December 29th to January 3rd is considered the year-end/new year holidays. During this time, rather than shops being crowded, many may be closed or close earlier. While major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, especially chain stores, may remain open, many smaller shops may close. Travelers planning trips during this time should take note of this.
Happy Monday System: Introduced in Japan in 2000, this system shifted some fixed holidays to Mondays to create three-day weekends, making leisure time more accessible and enjoyable. You’ll notice many consecutive three-day weekends on the Japanese calendar, largely due to this Happy Monday System.
As outlined above, Japan has national holidays, extended holiday periods, and the year-end/new year holidays which are not explicitly marked on the calendar. Apart from the year-end/new year holidays, you can refer to the calendar for national and public holidays. I hope this information helps with your travel schedule.