We are just about to the first big holiday in Japan! Actually, depending on when I schedule this post, we may already be in it. I’m talking about Golden Week! Unless you’ve read one of my posts in the past about it, I’m sure that means nothing to you, so let’s explore exactly what this is.

Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク) is one of the busiest and most anticipated times of the year in Japan. Running from late April through early May, it consists of a string of national holidays so close together that many workers and students end up with an entire week (or more) off.

The key holidays that make up Golden Week are:

• April 29: Showa Day (昭和の日) — honoring the birthday of Emperor Showa (Hirohito).
• May 3: Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日) — celebrating the 1947 postwar constitution.
• May 4: Greenery Day (みどりの日) — a day to appreciate nature.
• May 5: Children’s Day (子供の日) — celebrating children’s happiness and health, most visible in the koinobori (carp streamers) flying across Japan.

Usually when we include weekends, it lasts around seven to eight days, but if the weekends fall just right, Golden Week can stretch even longer. Some years, it becomes a ten-day vacation bonanza. Score!

Most people don’t really do anything special for any of those days, with the possible exception of Children’s Day if they have kids. There will be numerous kids’ events in every city to give us all ample chances to celebrate.

People I talk to are sometimes surprised that Japan gives such a long public holiday, but there is some logic behind it. Due to both boss pressure and coworker pressure, Japanese people rarely take personal days. The same pressure often motivates people to stay at the office far longer than the required eight hours. Given both of these things, the government is encouraged to provide numerous public holidays to make sure people don’t just drop dead from work and do get some breaks occasionally.

This all might seem well and good, but for travelers inside Japan, Golden Week can be a bit of double-edged sword. It’s a fantastic time to experience the country in full festive mode — countless local festivals, flower-viewing spots, and historical sites burst with energy. But it’s also notoriously crowded. Train tickets sell out weeks in advance. Highways jam for dozens of miles. Flights are packed, and hotel prices often double or triple. For the unprepared, it can be more stressful than relaxing.

Before I had kids, I would schedule my vacations for after Golden Week just to avoid the chaos. Now that they are both well into their public school years, this isn’t as easy to do, so we usually just skip the stress of large vacations and do smaller things around our city.

Another side effect: cities like Tokyo and Osaka can feel strangely empty, as many residents head back to the countryside to visit family or escape to resorts. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be weird.

Interestingly, because of its sheer economic impact, Golden Week has even shaped business strategies. Movie studios, for example, often time big releases to coincide with the holidays (the name “Golden Week” itself was popularized by the film industry in the 1950s to boost attendance). Department stores, theme parks, and tourist spots all aim their marketing campaigns at this golden opportunity.

For anyone thinking of visiting Japan: Golden Week offers a chance to see the country in celebration mode, but it demands careful planning. Book early, pack patience, and embrace the chaos as part of the experience.

Pretty interesting, all said and done. As I mentioned at the start, this is the first of the three long holidays. The second is Obon in August and then New Years at the end of the year. Of all three, this may be the one with the best weather, so you can bet I will be outside enjoying it!

David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Mastodon. 【Support @dbooster with Hive SBI】