Japan has sixteen national holidays, more than most countries, several of them moved to Mondays under the Happy Monday system. Golden Week in late April and early May clusters four of them together.

How people take the days

Golden Week, Obon in mid-August and the New Year period are the three times the country travels at once. A holiday falling on a Sunday moves to the Monday, and a working day trapped between two holidays becomes a holiday itself.

If you're visiting

Shops, restaurants and trains run normally, often busier. Golden Week and New Year mean full shinkansen, booked hotels and closed small businesses — the worst weeks of the year to travel unplanned.

If you live here

Paid leave is legally granted but culturally underused; since 2019 employers must ensure at least five days are actually taken. New Year, not Christmas, is the family holiday.

What these days actually mean

Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.

Respect for the Aged Day

21 Sep 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.

Autumnal Equinox Day

23 Sep 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.

Sports Day

12 Oct 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.

Culture Day

3 Nov 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.

JPJapan · 2026

Bridge days worth booking

How the holiday year works in Japan

The calendar

How people take the days

If you're visiting

If you live here

What these days actually mean

Respect for the Aged Day

Autumnal Equinox Day

Sports Day

Culture Day

Japan · 2026