[2025 Japan Public Holidays] Do you have to keep away from the Golden Week when touring to Japan? Listing of Japanese nationwide holidays and lengthy holidays | Peak and off-seasons for touring in Japan

Japan’s peak vacationer season: late December to New Yr, Golden Week in Might and Obon Pageant in August

On the finish of December, Japan holds many conventional actions to have fun the New Yr. Along with returning to their hometowns to have fun the New Yr, the Japanese even have the customized of visiting shrines through the New Yr, so native shrines can be very crowded.

Amongst Japan’s public holidays, Structure Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Kids’s Day in late April and early Might are shut in date, and weekends might be strung collectively to type a vacation of greater than per week, which is normally the most well-liked journey season for Japanese individuals. Along with rising lodge prices, the native site visitors can be very excessive, so it’s best to keep away from touring to Japan throughout this era.

One other peak vacationer season is the Obon Pageant (お盆), which falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month every year and is a vital pageant in Japan for honoring ancestors and the spirits of deceased family. Though Obon is just not a nationwide vacation in Japan, many corporations could have a four-day vacation round August 13-16, and most Japanese will take the “Mountain Day” vacation to return house and journey, so main transportation and vacationer sights can be crowded and really busy. When you journey throughout this era, along with planning and making reservations for eating places and sights upfront, you also needs to pay particular consideration to retailer opening hours.

Low season for journey in Japan: mid-Might to June and early September to mid-October

If you wish to keep away from the crowds, go to Japan from mid-Might to the top of June after Japan’s Golden Week, and from September to mid-October after the beginning of college. For the reason that cherry blossom season and Japan’s Golden Week holidays are over in mid-Might, there are comparatively few vacationers from all around the world, and because the nationwide holidays have simply ended, there can be fewer native vacationers, so you’ll be able to take pleasure in a extra comfy journey area. The interval from early September to mid-October, from the beginning of the college yr in Japan to earlier than the autumn maple leaf season, can be the low season for tourism, and air tickets and lodging costs are comparatively low-cost.

Japanese Nationwide Vacation Celebrations

Though air tickets and lodges are costlier throughout Japan’s nationwide holidays, and additionally it is the height vacationer season, vacationers can personally take part in native celebrations and expertise the distinctive Japanese pageant tradition and vigorous environment. The next are the traits and celebrations of Japan’s nationwide holidays:

1. New Yr’s Day (January 1)

Firstly of the brand new yr, many Japanese households will carry out “Hatsumode”, which is the primary go to to a shrine within the new yr, to hope for peace all year long. Throughout the New Yr interval, though some companies will droop enterprise, many corporations will launch discounted fortunate luggage, attracting many individuals to line as much as purchase them.

2. Coming of Age Day (January 13)

Coming of Age Day is a day the place varied locations maintain coming-of-age ceremonies to have fun younger individuals turning 20 changing into adults.

3. Nationwide Founding Day (February 11)

At the present time is the day when the primary Emperor Jimmu of Japan ascended the throne in response to the information within the Nihon Shoki, and is used to commemorate the spirit of Japan’s founding. Many shrines maintain festivals on this present day, and the “Fengzhu Parade” (Fengzhu Parade) is held yearly close to the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo.

4. Emperor’s Birthday (February 23)

On the Emperor’s birthday, a common birthday ceremony is held within the Chowaden Corridor of the Imperial Palace, with members of the Imperial household attending the ceremony and the general public additionally in a position to enter the sq. in entrance of the corridor to want the Emperor a cheerful birthday.

5. Spring Equinox (March 20)

It represents the start of spring, when the cherry blossoms are on the brink of bloom.

6. Showa Day (April 29)

The beginning of Japan’s “Golden Week”. “Showa Day” was previously referred to as “Tencho Day”, and Tencho means “to commemorate the Emperor’s birthday”, so it was designated because the birthday of Emperor Showa. On that day, the Showa Memorial Park can be open freed from cost for guests to enter the park to benefit from the flowers; in earlier years, many public services have additionally supplied free admission, similar to Ueno Zoo.

7. Structure Day (Might 3)

A nationwide vacation established to commemorate the formal implementation of the Japanese Structure.

8. Inexperienced Day (Might 4)

The “Inexperienced Day” vacation is geared toward elevating the general public’s consciousness of conservation and inspiring them to cherish nature. On that day, admission to parks similar to Ueno Zoological Park, Shinjuku Gyoen Nationwide Backyard, and Fukuoka Metropolis Zoo and Botanical Gardens can be free, permitting residents to take pleasure in nature and greenery.

9. Kids’s Day (Might 5)

Based on Japan’s Nationwide Holidays Legislation, Kids’s Day is outlined as a day to “respect youngsters’s individuality, measure youngsters’s happiness, and specific gratitude to their moms.” On that day, individuals will hold carp streamers representing progress on roofs, courtyards, roads, and so forth., and also will bathe in calamus soup.

10. Sea Day (July 21)

As Japan is surrounded by the ocean, “Umi no Higashi” is widely known to precise gratitude for the ocean’s blessings and to hope for Japan’s prosperity. Japanese individuals use this time without work to benefit from the solar and the seashore. Some cities and counties maintain festivals, such because the “Sea Lantern Pageant” at Tokyo’s Odaiba Seaside Park, the place individuals pray for maritime security. Many additionally maintain “fireworks festivals,” such because the “Yugawara Onsen Fireworks Pageant” in Kanagawa Prefecture.

11. Mountain Day (August 11)

Because the title suggests, “Mountain Day” is a day to get near the mountains and specific gratitude to the forests. Japanese individuals hike and drive up mountains to benefit from the stunning surroundings, and go to zoos and botanical gardens to study in regards to the pure surroundings. Essentially the most well-known occasion of the day is the “Yamanohi Day Nationwide Conference”.

12. Respect for the Aged Day (September 15)

Respect for the Aged Day is a day to indicate respect to the aged. Japanese individuals normally return to their hometowns to go to their family, have household reunion dinners collectively or give items to their dad and mom to indicate their love.

13. Autumnal Equinox (September 23)

It represents the start of autumn. Apart from being an vital interval for tomb sweeping and ancestor worship, additionally it is the start of the maple viewing season.

14. Sports activities Day (October 13)

Initially named “Sports activities Day”, it was established to commemorate the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and was renamed “Sports activities Day” within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to advertise sports activities tradition. On this present day yearly, Japan holds an “ekiden race” relay race. Amongst them, the Izumo Ekiden Race, Hakone Ekiden Race and All Japan College Ekiden Race are collectively referred to as the “Three Main Ekiden Races in Japan”.

15. Tradition Day (November 3)

A pageant celebrating tradition and artwork, many museums, artwork galleries and even theme parks are open without cost on this present day.

16. Labor Appreciation Day (November 23)

Labor Thanksgiving Day originated from the “New Tasting Pageant” held to thank the god of the harvest. It’s now geared toward thanking individuals for his or her arduous work.

FAQ

When are the height and off-seasons for tourism in Japan?

Along with the cherry blossom season in April and the maple viewing season in November, that are fashionable with vacationers from all around the world, Japan’s Golden Week in Might and the Obon Pageant in August are additionally peak vacationer seasons, and plenty of Japanese residents will journey through the lengthy holidays.

The off-season is from mid-Might to the top of June after Japan’s Golden Week, and from September to mid-October after the beginning of college.

What number of public holidays are there in Japan?

Japan has 16 public holidays in whole, not together with the Obon pageant in August, when Japanese corporations normally provide holidays.