From the end of April to the beginning of May, a series of Japanese national holidays clustered together and makes it one of the biggest holidays in Japan. We call these holidays "Golden Week."
Holidays that make up the Golden Week
The Golden Week is made up of several national holidays including "Showa Day" which marks the celebration of the birth of the emperor of Showa era, "Constitution Memorial Day", "Greenery Day" and "Children’s Day" which are also national holidays under Japanese constitution. When these holidays land on Saturday or Sunday, a weekday becomes a holiday instead. The length of the holidays, thus, varies depending on the year.
The Golden Week in 2023 is as follows.
| April 29 (Sat) | Showa Day |
| April 30 (Sun) | Weekend holiday |
| May 1 (Mon) | Weekday |
| May 2 (Tue) | Weekday |
| May 3 (Wed) | Constitution Memorial Day |
| May 4 (Thu) | Greenery Day |
| May 5 (Fri) | Children’s Day |
| May 6 (Sat) | Weekend holiday |
| May 7 (Sun) | Weekend holiday |
Since the Golden Week is made up of national holidays, many Japanese businesses are closed, including the public institutions, banks, post offices, as well as private companies and stores.
We are receiving your orders during the Golden Week. However, there may be some delay in shipping or replying to your inquiries during this period. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
This article was originally published in April 2022. It has been updated in April 2023.
