Holidays & peak seasons

Peak travel seasons

• Year-end & New Year

  Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027

  Shinkansen and flights out of Tokyo and Osaka peak around Dec 29–30, and the return rush is on Jan 3–4. Shrines such as Meiji Jingu, Fushimi Inari and Kawasaki Daishi are packed for hatsumode on Jan 1–3, while many restaurants, museums and smaller shops close for a few days. Department-store “fukubukuro” lucky-bag sales start around Jan 1–2.

• Cherry blossom season

  Mar 24 – Apr 7, 2027 ≈

  Not an official holiday, but the most popular week of the year for domestic and international travel. Hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo fill up months ahead. Famous parks are busiest on weekend afternoons; go at sunrise or choose a neighborhood river walk instead.

• Golden Week

  Apr 29 – May 5, 2027

  A cluster of four holidays from Apr 29 to May 5. Trains, highways and airports are at their busiest around the first and last days, and popular day-trip spots like Kamakura, Hakone and Nikko see long queues. Reserve shinkansen seats as soon as they go on sale (one month ahead, at 10:00) and book hotels early.

• Obon

  Aug 13 – 16, 2027 ≈

  Not a public holiday, but many companies close around Aug 13–16 so people can visit family graves. Long-distance trains and highways are packed in both directions, and beaches and theme parks are crowded. City centers such as Tokyo can actually feel quieter than usual.

• Silver Week

  Sep 18 – 23, 2027

  In some years Respect for the Aged Day and the Autumnal Equinox fall close enough to create a long autumn break. In 2026 it ran from Sep 19 to Sep 23; in 2027 it is only a three-day weekend (Sep 18–20) plus the holiday on Thursday Sep 23.

Public holidays

Practical tips for holiday travel

• Reserved shinkansen seats go on sale one month before the travel date at 10:00 JST. For the peak days of Golden Week, Obon and New Year, buy them on day one — unreserved cars can mean standing for hours.
• On long weekends, start sightseeing early. Most famous spots are calm before 9:00 and much busier from late morning.
• Hotel prices in Japan rise sharply on the night before a holiday. If your dates are flexible, shifting by one night can save a lot.
• Banks and post offices close on public holidays, but convenience-store ATMs (7-Bank, Lawson Bank, E-net) keep working and usually accept foreign cards.
• When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the next weekday becomes a substitute holiday — check this list before planning a Monday visit to a museum or market.

Holiday dates: holiday_jp open dataset, based on the Cabinet Office list of national holidays. Crowd outlook is an estimate.