WHICH IS GOLDEN WEEK IN JAPAN
The Golden Week (Golden Week, ゴールデンウィーク, Gōruden Wīku), is 4 national holidays within 7 days. If the holidays are placed well between weekends it becomes one of the busiest seasons in Japan, so we advise you not to travel this season, as, you will find besides tourists millions of Japanese people moving around the country.
If you still want to travel, remember that trains, airports and major tourist attractions tend to fill up quickly, as do hotels and other accommodations, so try to book well in advance.
HISTORY OF GOLDEN WEEK
It all started when in July 1948 the Japanese government made the proclamation of the law of the nine holy days, The term had the complete acceptance of the population and ended up being in common use in practically all of Japan.
Many Japanese people have off work days between these celebrations and many companies close completely to give their employees a few days off
GOLDEN WEEK HOLIDAYS
It’s always the same holidays, so Japanese people plan their vacations or days off based on them:
April 29 Showa Day (Showa no hi, 昭和の日 “Shōwa Day”).
The day of the birth of the former emperor Showa (1926- 1989). It used to be celebrated on May 4, the day of vegetation.
May 3 Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi 憲法記念日)
Constitution Day, celebrates the entry into force since 1947 in the postwar period. It also expresses the desire for national posperity.
History: After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Emperor Showa announced unconditional surrender to the Allied forces. Japan and General Douglas MacArthur cooperated in the drafting of the new Constitution.
Celebration: Constitution Memorial Day is a time to remember the events of Japan’s history.
May 4 nature day (Midori no hi みどりの日, Green Day)
The day is dedicated to the environment and nature, because the emperor loved plants and nature and this one aims to encourage people to respect and enjoy nature as he did.
Until 2006, Vegetation Day used to be celebrated on April 29, the birthday of the former emperor Showa.
May 5 Children’s Day (Kodomo no hi こどもの日, Children’s Day).
Families pray for the health and future success of their children by hanging tent streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life. The Girl Festival is celebrated on March 3, but is not a national holiday.
Curiosity of May 5: Its name originally was Tango no Sekku (端午の節句), which may have been in the beginning. May has always been said in Japan to be a month for purification, and many rites that drove away evil spirits were performed then. For this reason, the date was set on May 5 after the Nara period.
Celebration of kodomo no hi: On this day, families hoist koinobori kites in the shape of a tent, one for each child (sometimes for each boy) and display the traditional Japanese helmet, kabuto. The kabuto is a symbol of a strong and healthy male child.
“The tents each have the representation of a family member: the black tent (Magoi) at the top represents the father, the red tent (Higoi) represents the mother, and the last tent represents the son, with an additional tent added for each subsequent son with the color and position indicating his relative age.”
When is the golden week 2024 | Golden week 2024 Japan
29 April (Saturday) Showa no hi, 昭和の日
3 May (Wednesday) Kenpo kinenbi 憲法記念日
4 May (Thursday) Midori no hi みどりの日
5 May (Friday) Kodomo no hi こどもの日
In golden week 2024, it is believed that tourist activity would peak on April 27, with people leaving the major urban centers, and on May 4 and 5 in the opposite direction.
When is the golden week 2025 | Golden Week 2025 Japan
29 April (Monday) Showa no hi, 昭和の日
3 May (Friday) Kenpo kinenbi 憲法記念日
4 May (Saturday) Midori no hi みどりの日
5 May (Sunday) Kodomo no hi こどもの日
In golden week 2025, it is believed that tourist activity would peak on May 2 itself, with people leaving major urban centers and on May 5 in the opposite direction.
When is the golden week 2026 | Golden Week 2026 Japan
29 April (Wednesday) Showa no hi, 昭和の日
3 May (Sunday) Kenpo kinenbi 憲法記念日
4 May (Monday) Midori no hi みどりの日
5 May (Tuesday) Kodomo no hi こどもの日
In golden week 2026, it is believed that tourist activity would peak on May 1 itself, with people leaving the major urban centers and on May 4 and 5 in the opposite direction.
When is the golden week 2023 | Golden Week 2023 Japan
29 April (Saturday) Showa no hi, 昭和の日
3 May (Wednesday) Kenpo kinenbi 憲法記念日
4 May (Thursday) Midori no hi みどりの日
5 May (Friday) Kodomo no hi こどもの日
In golden week 2023, it is believed that tourist activity would peak on April 29, with people leaving the major urban centers and on May 6 and 7 in the opposite direction.
GOLDEN WEEK CALENDAR (GOLDEN WEEK 2022)
In 2022, weekends are unfavorably positioned to create two separate holidays of three days each. Tourist activity is expected to peak on April 29 and Tuesday, May 3, with people leaving major urban centers and Sunday, May 1, and Thursday, May 5, in the opposite direction.
The 3 back-to-back days will be May 3, 4 and 5.
Japan Silver Week (SILVER WEEK)
Usually every five to six years, a favorable accumulation of national holidays (Respect for Age Day, Autumn Equinox and a possible holiday in between) and a weekend creates a longer vacation period similar to Golden Week around the end of September. The holiday has become popularly known as “Silver Week.” The next notable Silver Weeks will be in 2026 and 2037, when five-day-long vacations will be observed.
PREVIOUS YEARS OF GOLDEN WEEK:
As we update this post, we will leave here below the past golden weeks, in case you need to check the exact dates.
When is the golden week 2022 | Golden week 2022 Japan
29 April (Friday) Showa no hi, 昭和の日
3 May (Tuesday) Kenpo kinenbi 憲法記念日
4 May (Wednesday) Midori no hi みどりの日
5 May (Thursday) Kodomo no hi こどもの日
In golden week 2022, it is believed that tourist activity would peak on April 29, with people leaving the major urban centers and on May 4 and 5 in the opposite direction.
GOLDEN WEEK CALENDAR (GOLDEN WEEK 2021)
In 2021 were the following holidays, the weekends are placed in a way to create a 5-day weekend (Saturday May 1, May 2, May 3, 4 and Wednesday May 5.
In the usual year, tourist activity would peak on May 1 with people leaving major urban centers and on May 4 and 5 in the opposite direction; however, this year due to the covid-19 pandemic people in many parts of the country are asked not to travel to other prefectures during Golden Week, and travel activity should remain low.
