May is a month that most people in Japan look forward to because of Golden Week, a sequence of consecutive holidays where most people get an extended break from work. The actual amount of time varies from year to year, but even at its worst, Golden Week is one of the few times with a longer period of holidays outside of the New Year period.
The only downside to Golden Week is that with everyone having holidays at the same time, travelling can quickly become a nightmare of crowds, inflated prices and fully booked hotels. In this article, we will take a look at Golden Week, its origins, the positives and negatives and look at the best ways for you to make the most of it.
What Is Golden Week?
Japan has quite a few public holidays throughout the year, generally averaging one a month with a couple of exceptions. Golden Week is the one time of year where a sequence of four public holidays fall in a row. The holidays occur in late April and early May and are Showa Day, Constitutional Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day.
Showa day falls on the 29th of April and celebrates the birthday of Emperor Hirohito, the Showa emperor. The next holiday is Constitutional Memorial Day, which is on the 3rd of May and celebrates the establishment of the constitution of Japan in 1947. This is followed immediately by Greenery Day on the 4th, a holiday which was established as a day to pay respect to nature. The final holiday is Children’s Day on May 5th which celebrates children and is often signified by households raising carp streamers outside and displaying miniature armor sets in their houses.
Aside from taking part close to one another, the four holidays are unrelated. The term Golden Week was originally coined in the 1950s by members of the Japanese Film industry who saw record numbers of movie ticket sales during this period of the year. This name took hold in the public consciousness and has been the term for the period ever since.
How much time off do you get?
The short answer to this question is, it depends on the year and the company that you work for. Despite being called Golden Week, there are actually only four official public holidays within the Golden Week period and one of those, Showa Day, has a three day gap before the next holiday starts. As such, depending on the year (2025 for example) if you work a standard Monday to Friday job, you may only get a four-day weekend. It’s definitely better than nothing, but compared to a favorable calendar year, it can seem a bit shorter than usual. Unlike some other countries, you don’t always get a replacement holiday in Japan if the holiday falls on a Saturday so the holiday time can vary.
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The other big factor when it comes to Golden Week is the industry you work in and the company you work for. Some industries, such as hospitality and tourism, will generally have to work right through Golden Week. Outside of this, different companies will have different policies around the holidays. Most companies in Japan will stick firmly to the public holidays while others might be very generous and give you extra days off, such as those between Showa Day and Constitutional Memorial Day. Still, others will allow you to use paid time off to cover the days, though you may have to compete with other co-workers for it.
Tips for Making the Most of Golden Week
Many people in Japan use Golden Week as an opportunity to get out and travel so it can be a very busy time of year. Whether you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before or just making a trip to a local museum, you can expect crowds and long waits at most places. So, what can you do to make the most of your time off during Golden Week? Here are a handful of tips that will help you enjoy Golden Week even more.
Plan early – Golden Week is an extremely busy time for travel. The spring weather is generally lovely everywhere in the country in May and many people want to take advantage of the extra time off by travelling. As such, hotels and flights book out very quickly and prices rise steadily as it gets closer to the holiday period. The best way to take advantage of Golden Week, especially if you plan on doing some travelling, is to plan exactly what you’re going to do ahead of time and book in any hotels or flights early. This will not only save money but time on a last-minute scramble to find somewhere to stay if you want to travel further afield. A few months ahead is ideal but the earlier the better! By the same token, even if you’re travelling locally on day trips, it’s best to decide early, check out your transport options and have a backup plan in case you have to make changes.
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Get off the beaten path – During Golden Week, you can expect most popular places to be much more crowded than usual. Theme parks, aquariums, museums and popular tourist attractions see much heavier crowds than usual. If you’re ok with crowds then it’s no problem, but if you want to avoid the masses, maybe consider somewhere a little off the beaten path. A visit to the countryside or a smaller prefecture can be a refreshing getaway. Hikes on less popular trails or stays in small towns can be just as fun. If you’re after somewhere a little quieter, there are plenty of places to choose from with just a little research. And of course, there’s always the option of a nice relaxing break at home.
Ask for extra days off – This one can be a little difficult given the work culture in Japan but taking extra time off on either side of Golden Week can extend your holiday and help avoid some of the Golden Week crowds. That said, it does depend on the company you work for. Some will have policies against it, others will allow it. It’s also good to try and get those extra two days off after Showa day if your company doesn’t automatically give them to you. Again, asking early is always the key.
Make the most of Golden Week
Golden Week doesn’t really have the social or family expectations that other holiday periods in Japan have so it’s something that many people look forward to as a time to travel. With great spring weather it’s the perfect time to get out and about. A break from work is always nice and as long as you plan early, you can enjoy Golden Week to its fullest potential.
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