Golden Week refers to a roughly week-long period centered around four national holidays. This holiday break generally starts at the end of April and finishes at the beginning of May.

Golden Week’s national holidays are as follows:

• Showa Day (April 29)
• Constitution Day (May 3)
• Greenery Day (May 4)
• Children's Day (May 5)

Learn more about these national holidays.

Many companies will give their employees off for the entire period or people will simply take off, making it an exceptionally busy and popular time for travel within Japan. Naturally, transportation, accommodations, and sightseeing spots tend to be very busy. Also, due to increased demand, prices for travel-related services are more expensive than usual.

Even so, lots of events occur during this holiday period, making it a great time for visitors to enjoy Japanese festivities in tandem with pleasant spring weather.

Golden Week travel tips

For smooth travel during this busy time of year, please review our below recommendations.

• Make reservations well in advance—ideally, three to six months. This includes domestic plane tickets, reserved train seating, accommodations, sightseeing tours, theme parks, etc.
• Some smaller businesses may close during Golden Week. So be sure to confirm destinations' business hours before visiting.
• Leave buffer time while traveling, whether it be by train, bus, taxi, or rental car. Railways and roads will be more congested.
• If you want to avoid peak crowds and congestion, travel during the middle of Golden Week (and avoid the weekends).
• Start your days early to avoid major crowds.

With proper planning and a bit of patience, Golden Week in Japan is an exciting time of year to enjoy celebratory vibes across the country.