Japan’s National Holidays
Japan has 16 national public holidays (shukujitsu) per year. Most are one-day events, but three holiday clusters create the country’s most significant travel periods. Understanding these dates is essential for planning: transport, accommodation, and attractions at popular destinations can become extremely crowded and prices rise sharply.
Golden Week (Ougon Shukan)
Golden Week runs from late April to early May and combines four national holidays within a single week:
- Showa Day: April 29
- Constitution Memorial Day: May 3
- Greenery Day: May 4
- Children’s Day: May 5
With weekends and bridge days, Golden Week typically gives Japanese workers 7 to 10 days off — one of the few extended breaks in Japan’s working culture. The result is mass domestic travel. Shinkansen tickets sell out months in advance. Popular destinations like Kyoto, Nikko, and Okinawa become very crowded. Prices for flights and accommodation peak sharply.
For foreign visitors, Golden Week is best approached by either embracing the festive energy in cities (outdoor festivals, events, market stalls) or actively avoiding popular tourist routes in favour of less-visited areas. Rural Japan, smaller cities like Kanazawa or Matsumoto, and hiking destinations are significantly quieter than Kyoto or Tokyo’s tourist zones.
Obon (Mid-August)
Obon is a Buddhist festival honouring the spirits of ancestors, observed in mid-August (around August 13 to 16). It is not a formal public holiday but many businesses close and millions of Japanese return to their hometowns. Transport from major cities to rural areas is extremely busy; the reverse flow (returning to cities) peaks around August 16 to 18.
Obon is also the season for some of Japan’s most spectacular events. Awa Odori in Tokushima (Shikoku) is a massive four-day street dance festival drawing over 1 million visitors. The Toro Nagashi (floating lanterns on rivers) ceremonies at dusk are among Japan’s most atmospheric events. Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (five giant bonfire characters on Kyoto’s surrounding mountains) concludes Obon on August 16 and is best viewed from central Kyoto.
New Year (Oshogatsu, December 29 to January 3)
Japanese New Year is the most important holiday period of the year. Most businesses, restaurants, and shops close from around December 29 to January 3. Shrines and temples are busy with Hatsumode (first visit of the new year); Meiji Jingu in Tokyo receives over 3 million visitors in the first three days of January alone.
For visitors, the New Year period offers the quiet pleasure of near-empty streets (most Japanese are at home or in their hometowns) alongside the spectacle of shrine visits, temple bells (joya no kane) on New Year’s Eve, and special Oshogatsu foods and decorations. Hotels and ryokan that stay open often charge premium rates.
Silver Week
Silver Week occurs when Respect for the Aged Day (third Monday of September) and the Autumnal Equinox Day fall in a sequence that creates a five-day holiday cluster. This happens irregularly — roughly every few years. When it does, it creates a second Golden Week-level travel rush in autumn.
Planning Around Holidays
- Book Shinkansen tickets as early as possible (up to 30 days in advance) for Golden Week, Obon, and New Year travel
- Check the specific dates each year — holidays that fall on Sunday are observed the following Monday (furikae kyujitsu)
- Hotel rates increase significantly during holiday periods; mid-week days within holiday weeks are slightly less expensive than the peak weekend days
- Many popular attractions extend opening hours or run special programmes during festival periods — check local event listings close to your dates
Last checked: April 2026. Holiday dates and specific event dates should be verified for your travel year.