Golden Week in Japan 2026: Dates, Holidays & Travel Guide

Golden Week in Japan refers to a cluster of national holidays, usually between April 29 and May 5, where many people get time off work to relax, travel, and have fun.

While the New Year's period sees many locals head back home to spend time with their families, Golden Week’s four national holidays are the most popular time of year for company workers to take a real vacation. Hotels, airlines and transportation become difficult to book, and tourist areas are notoriously crowded this time of year. But what’s all the excitement about?

Golden Week in Japan occurs at the very end of April and into the first week of May:

• April 29: Showa Day (Showa no Hi)
• May 3: Constitution Day (Kenpo Kinenbi)
• May 4: Greenery Day (Midori no Hi)
• May 5: Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi)

Some companies give employees additional vacation days in between these holidays. Many Japanese people also use their PTO days during this week.

When any of these holidays falls on a Sunday, the observance is legally moved to the following Monday. In 2026, this means that Golden Week can be enjoyed from April 29 through May 6.

Try one of Tokyo's best street food spots from our curated list!

Sample the most irresistible sweet and savory treats of Takeshita Street while Shizuka shares insights about the local area.Take cute purikura photos and shop for souvenirs along the way.

Then unwind with all-you-can-drink tipples and okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancakes) at her favorite Harajuku restaurant.

Nothing offers peace and reflection quite like glamping in the presence of Mt. Fuji, surrounded by the beauty of the Japanese countryside and far from the Golden Week crowds.

Based in the Fujinomiya region, you'll spend two relaxing days at an eco-friendly glamping site. Activities include harvesting local vegetables with residents, a sake brewery tour, a yakiniku BBQ, breakfast and a morning stroll to Shiraito Waterfalls, a World Heritage site.

Escape to the mountainous climate of Okayama, 3 hours from Tokyo by bullet train, leaving the hustle and bustle behind for a moment of mindfulness and matcha. 

In this private Japanese tea ceremony with a Tea Master, witness the precise art of preparing matcha, enjoy a fresh cup paired with wagashi Japanese sweets, and then try crafting this foamy delight for yourself.

Modern kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine meets traditional Wajima-nuri lacquerware at CRAFEAT, where pesticide-free local produce and handpicked seafood shape the menu of the day.

You'll get to experience bite-sized sushi, seasonal soup, assorted appetizers, sashimi, tempura, ramen, luxurious wagyu beef and more.

This course menu also includes your own English-speaking interpreter and certified tour guide, helping you communicate with the restaurant staff and gain a deeper understanding of each dish.

In July 1948, the Japanese government declared nine official annual holidays. It just happened that several of these clustered around the end of April and the beginning of May. With the holidays encouraging leisure activities, brands quickly jumped in to promote tourism and entertainment.

In the modern day, “corporate” or “consumer” holidays aren’t much of a rarity. Take Black Friday, for example, which is named for the profits earned as consumers take advantage of limited-edition offers. Golden Week got its name in the same way.

In Japan’s case, it was the broadcast industry that gave Golden Week its current moniker. The week of consecutive holidays was named after the Japanese equivalent of prime time. Known as “golden time,” citizens would tune into the radio from 7 to 9 p.m. and drive up listenership. In 1951, movie audiences during the first week of May surpassed even New Year's and Obon levels, leading Daiei Films to call this period the “Golden Week.”

Funnily enough, we celebrate Black Friday in Japan now, too!

The term “Showa” brings to mind city pop, retro-anime and Japan’s bubble economy. Showa Day was first celebrated on April 29 to commemorate Emperor Showa’s birthday, a holiday that is now on February 23 for the current emperor’s birthday. But Emperor Showa had such a long-lasting impact on Japan’s transformation that he was later memorialized with a permanent national holiday.

After Emperor Showa’s death in 1989, April 29 became Greenery Day instead, in order to preserve the original holiday pattern. In 2007, the date was shifted back to April 29 as a memorial day, and Greenery Day was permanently added to the calendar on May 4.

Through all these transitions, April 29 has consistently marked the first day of Golden Week.

Constitution Memorial Day marks the day Japan’s postwar constitution came into law in 1947. This document was drafted after Japan’s surrender to reformat its ruling system in line with Western governance. The Emperor’s influence was reduced to figurehead status, and policies emphasizing personal liberties and pacifism came to define the new system.

Originally, the observance of Constitution Day was proposed for November 3, which was already a holiday and coincided with the emperor’s official recognition of the document. However, it was later determined that May 3 would be the recognized date, giving the calendar an additional national holiday.

Constitution Day is a government holiday, meaning that services such as banks and administrative offices are generally closed. That said, some facilities that are usually closed to the public offer tours or special seminars on this day. The National Diet Building in Chiyoda opens its doors for walking tours on May 3, which often gets featured in news media.

Emperor Showa is one of the central figures of Golden Week. His love of nature and gardens is said to have inspired the establishment of Greenery Day, a day when botanical gardens, zoos and aquariums offer free entry, and families spend time outdoors to enjoy nature. 

Visitors to Tokyo can explore the Tama Zoological Park, visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden, or simply relax in one of the city’s many parks.

Further afield, foodies enjoy Kobe’s Nunobiki Herb Garden, which is complemented by stunning waterfall and ropeway views. The Toyama Tulip Festival usually wraps up its final blooms just in time for Midori no Hi, making Golden Week an ideal time to visit Toyama as it welcomes warmer weather. 

In Kanazawa City, about an hour south of the tulips, travelers will find Kenrokuen — considered one of the country's three great gardens. The other two are Kairakuen in Mito, Ibaraki, and Korakuen in Okayama.

Of course, there’s always the option of celebrating Greenery Day quite literally, with a seasonal Japanese tea ceremony and a bowl of bright green matcha.

Children’s Day, which was designated on May 5 in 1948, is actually a holdover from the lunisolar calendar’s gosekku, five annual ceremonies once held at the Japanese imperial court. It marks a traditional holiday known as Tango no Sekku. Its counterpart, Hina Matsuri, or Girl’s Day, is celebrated on March 3.

While Children’s Day, as a national holiday, applies to all kids, the traditional Tango no Sekku festivities were originally reserved for boys, specifically young would-be samurai. The foods and customs enjoyed on Children’s Day still reflect the cultural history of Tango no Sekku as it was practiced during the Kamakura period, although some records suggest it dates back to the Nara period.

In the Kanto region, families eat kashiwa mochi, simple red-bean daifuku wrapped in oak leaves. (Don’t eat the oak leaf!) This treat is said to bring good fortune through family succession. In Kansai, chimaki, sticky rice steamed in bamboo leaves, is more common. This dish is a holdover from the ceremonial Chinese food zongzi.

Carp streamers are an iconic Children’s Day sight outside homes and across open fields. These flags represent the strength of young carp swimming upstream. The Kodomo no Hi menu also features foods associated with good fortune. Like many celebratory occasions, dishes often include the auspicious red of tai and shrimp. Eating fish whose names change as they grow, such as buri and hamachi, as well as bamboo shoots, is believed to ensure a successful future for growing boys. Finally, there’s katsuo, the fish used to make dashi and katsuobushi. Its name echoes the phrase “winning man.”

• Reserve early. Since many locals also vacation during this period, Golden Week is not the time to walk into a popular ramen shop and expect an open seat. Reserve trains, lodging and restaurants as early as possible.
• Explore off the beaten track. Golden Week is an excellent time to explore on foot or by rental car, which allows access to less-trafficked areas. You’re far more likely to discover something memorable if you’re willing to venture off the map and take a leisurely stroll.
• Get comfortable in crowds. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! One advantage of the Golden Week rush is that it becomes easier to identify great restaurants and experiences without relying on a guide. Chances are good that wherever you see a line of local diners, you will find something worthwhile, as long as you’re prepared to wait.

With its general festive atmosphere, Golden Week gives visitors the chance to experience national holidays in Japan, complete with ramune vendors, drinks from coolers and locals gathering in grimy but authentic izakaya. If you are feeling brave, there’s no better time to build connections than over a beer and some yakitori during Golden Week.

Wondering where to spend your Golden Week? Read our 3-day itineraries for Kanazawa if you want to escape the crowds of the capital. 

We also highly recommend Fukuoka, for which we also made a 3-day itinerary. 

Or, if you’re up for it, explore some of Japan's most popular festivals.