By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Showa DayThursday 29 April 2027
- Constitution Memorial DayMonday 3 May 2027
- Greenery DayTuesday 4 May 2027
- Children’s DayWednesday 5 May 2027
- Where
- Tokyo and across Japan
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- April to May
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
From the Cabinet Office’s list of 2027 public holidays: Showa Day falls on Thursday 29 April, Friday 30 April is a working day, and the weekend joins Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day for five days off from Saturday 1 to Wednesday 5 May, with no substitute holiday. Many people take the Friday off to make it seven.
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Golden Week is a cluster of four public holidays at the end of April and the start of May, and with New Year and Obon it makes up the three peak travel periods of the Japanese year. Most of the country takes the week off, so long-distance trains, flights and hotels fill and prices rise, while shops, restaurants and sights stay open. On the Tokaido Shinkansen every seat on the fast Nozomi trains becomes reserved-only. If you can, arrive after it ends; if you cannot, book everything early.
What Golden Week actually is
The four holidays are Showa Day, which marks the birthday of the Showa Emperor, then Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day, when families fly koinobori, carp-shaped streamers, for their children. When one of them lands on a Sunday, the next working day becomes a substitute holiday.
How long the break runs depends on where the weekends fall, which is why the dates card matters more than the name. Some years join everything into one unbroken week; others leave a working day or two in the middle, which many people take off anyway.
For a visitor the effect is not closure but crowding. Japan travels: people head home to their families or out to the resorts, and day-trip towns, theme parks and the famous sights fill with domestic visitors, while the trains and airports are busiest on the first and last days of the break.
Where the crowds go
- The stations and airports. Tokyo Station, Shinagawa and the airports are at their fullest as the break begins and again as it ends. Travel on the days in between if you can.
- The big sights in Tokyo. Senso-ji, Tokyo Skytree, the theme parks and the most photographed districts draw long queues, while ordinary residential Tokyo can feel quieter than usual as its own people leave town.
- Kyoto and the day-trip towns. Kyoto, Nikko, Hakone and Kamakura are among the places domestic travellers head for, so a side trip that is easy in mid-May needs booking and an early start during the holidays.
Tickets and what it costs
Golden Week itself costs nothing. What costs more is the trip around it: hotel rates rise across Tokyo and the holiday destinations, and long-distance train and air seats sell out first on the days the break begins and ends.
Shops, department stores, restaurants and most attractions stay open, and many run holiday events. Banks and government offices close on the holidays, but convenience-store cash machines keep working.
Official information and booking: www8.cao.go.jp/chosei/shukujitsu/gaiyou.html
Getting there
Reserve Shinkansen seats as soon as you can. During the peak periods JR Central and JR West make every seat on the Nozomi trains between Tokyo and Hakata reserved, so turning up for an unreserved seat is not an option on the fastest service.
Arrive or leave partway through the break rather than on its first or last day, and book hotels as early as your plans allow. The week after it ends is far easier on both counts.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Buying train tickets on the day
Shinkansen seats sell out on the busiest days, and on the Nozomi there is no unreserved car to fall back on. Reserve as soon as your dates are fixed.
Travelling on the first or last day
That is when the whole country moves. A day either side of the rush is calmer on the trains and at the airports.
Expecting the city to shut
Golden Week is a holiday for shopping and going out, not a closure. Banks and offices close, but the shops, restaurants and sights open.
Putting the day trips in the middle of it
Kyoto, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko fill with domestic visitors. Move the side trips to the week after if your dates allow.
Other Tokyo events
Frequently asked questions
When is Golden Week?
At the turn of April and May, around four public holidays; the dates card above shows how they fall this year and how long the break runs.
What are the Golden Week holidays?
Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day. When one falls on a Sunday, the next working day becomes a substitute holiday.
Is Golden Week a good time to visit Japan?
The weather is good, but it is one of the busiest weeks of the year for domestic travel, so trains, hotels and the famous sights are crowded and dearer. The week after it is easier.
Are shops and attractions open during Golden Week?
Yes. Shops, department stores, restaurants and most attractions open as usual, and many run holiday events. Banks and government offices close on the holidays.
Do I need to reserve Shinkansen seats during Golden Week?
Yes. During the peak periods every seat on the Nozomi trains between Tokyo and Hakata is reserved, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Sources
- Cabinet Office, the national holidays and the next years’ list (Japanese)
- JR Central, all-reserved Nozomi trains in the peak periods
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.