📅 Japan Public Holidays 2026 & 2027
Public Holidays 2026
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 · Thu | New Year's Day (元日) | Public |
| 12 Jan 2026 · Mon | Coming of Age Day (成人の日) | Public |
| 11 Feb 2026 · Wed | Foundation Day (建国記念の日) | Public |
| 23 Feb 2026 · Mon | The Emperor's Birthday (天皇誕生日) | Public |
| 20 Mar 2026 · Fri | Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日) | Public |
| 29 Apr 2026 · Wed | Shōwa Day (昭和の日) | Public |
| 4 May 2026 · Mon | Greenery Day (みどりの日) | Public |
| 5 May 2026 · Tue | Children's Day (こどもの日) | Public |
| 6 May 2026 · Wed | Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日) | Public |
| 20 Jul 2026 · Mon | Marine Day (海の日) | Public |
| 11 Aug 2026 · Tue | Mountain Day (山の日) | Public |
| 21 Sep 2026 · Mon | Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日) | Public |
| 23 Sep 2026 · Wed | Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日) | Public |
| 12 Oct 2026 · Mon | Sports Day (スポーツの日) | Public |
| 3 Nov 2026 · Tue | Culture Day (文化の日) | Public |
| 23 Nov 2026 · Mon | Labour Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日) | Public |
Public Holidays 2027
Provisional — most countries publish the official calendar late in the year.
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2027 · Fri | New Year's Day (元日) | Public |
| 11 Jan 2027 · Mon | Coming of Age Day (成人の日) | Public |
| 11 Feb 2027 · Thu | Foundation Day (建国記念の日) | Public |
| 23 Feb 2027 · Tue | The Emperor's Birthday (天皇誕生日) | Public |
| 21 Mar 2027 · Sun | Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日) | Public |
| 29 Apr 2027 · Thu | Shōwa Day (昭和の日) | Public |
| 3 May 2027 · Mon | Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日) | Public |
| 4 May 2027 · Tue | Greenery Day (みどりの日) | Public |
| 5 May 2027 · Wed | Children's Day (こどもの日) | Public |
| 19 Jul 2027 · Mon | Marine Day (海の日) | Public |
| 11 Aug 2027 · Wed | Mountain Day (山の日) | Public |
| 20 Sep 2027 · Mon | Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日) | Public |
| 23 Sep 2027 · Thu | Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日) | Public |
| 11 Oct 2027 · Mon | Sports Day (スポーツの日) | Public |
| 3 Nov 2027 · Wed | Culture Day (文化の日) | Public |
| 23 Nov 2027 · Tue | Labour Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日) | Public |
ℹ️ Why these dates matter
Japan fixes its public holidays by law years ahead, so the dates below are firm. When one falls on a Sunday the next working day becomes a holiday, which is why Constitution Memorial Day lands on Wednesday 6 May in 2026. Two periods are not holidays at all but move more people than any date on the list: Obon in August and the New Year shutdown. On public holidays banks and city offices close while department stores, restaurants and attractions usually stay open — often busier than ever.
Festivals Worth Planning a Trip Around
Beyond the stat holidays — the events that define the travel year.
Golden Week — Wed 29 April – Wed 6 May 2026 (Constitution Memorial Day observed Wed 6 May)
Four national holidays inside eight days turn Japan into one long queue. Shōwa Day falls on 29 April, then Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day follow in early May — in 2026 the 3 May holiday is observed on Wednesday 6 May because the date itself is a Sunday. Reserve trains and hotels three to four months ahead; reserved shinkansen seats and city hotels go first.
New Year's Day — Thu 1 – Sat 3 January 2026 (public holiday Thu 1 Jan)
The first three days of January are Japan at its quietest and most ritualised: hatsumōde visits to Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu and Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari, temple bells at midnight, and fukubukuro lucky bags outside every department store on 1 January. Most offices, museums and small family restaurants close from around 29 December to 3 January, so sort out meals and cash beforehand.
Obon — around Thu 13 – Sun 16 August 2026 (not a public holiday)
Obon is not a public holiday, yet it moves more people than any date on the list: families travel home around 13 to 16 August and the shinkansen and expressways run full for days either side. Kyoto closes it with Gozan no Okuribi on 16 August, when giant bonfires are lit on the hillsides. Reserve early or travel mid-week if you want to miss the worst. Mountain Day on 11 August adds a holiday right before it.
Gion Matsuri — all July 2026; Yamaboko float parades Fri 17 and Fri 24 July
Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri runs the whole of July, but the two Yamaboko float parades on 17 and 24 July are the reason to go: lacquer, tapestry and gold hauled through the streets by teams in yukata. Locals usually buy reserved seats; visitors tend to line the route or come for the earlier evenings of street stalls and displayed floats. Stay in Kyoto for the night — the last trains back to Osaka are brutal.
💡 Quick Tips
- Public holidays close banks, post offices and city halls, while shopping streets and malls generally stay open.
- Convenience stores and most chain restaurants trade straight through every holiday, but small independent places often shut for days at New Year and Obon.
- Constitution Memorial Day 2026 falls on Sunday 3 May, so the substitute holiday is Wednesday 6 May — build Golden Week around that.
- Japanese museums usually close on Mondays; when the Monday is a public holiday they often shift the closure to the next day, so check before you go.
⚡ Pro Tips
- Shinkansen reservations usually open one month before departure; for Golden Week, Obon and New Year set an alarm for that morning.
- Travel out on the first morning of the block and come back on the last morning — almost everyone else moves on 3 May and 5 May.
- During Gion Matsuri base yourself near Shijo-Karasuma in Kyoto and walk; the city buses crawl and the trains run shoulder to shoulder.
📋 Summary
All sixteen Japanese public holidays for 2026 and 2027, plus the four moments that reshape the calendar: Golden Week from late April into May, Shōgatsu at New Year, the Obon migration in August and Kyoto’s month-long Gion Matsuri in July.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do shops and restaurants in Japan close on public holidays?
Mostly no. Shopping streets, malls, restaurants and attractions generally trade as normal, and often busier than usual. What does close reliably is anything bureaucratic: banks, post offices, city halls and many small family-run shops during the New Year and Obon seasons.
When is Golden Week in Japan and why should I book so early?
It is the late April to early May cluster of Shōwa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day, four holidays that nearly everyone takes together. In 2026 the cluster stretches from Wednesday 29 April to Wednesday 6 May. Because the whole country has the same week off, reserved shinkansen seats and city hotels go months ahead.
Is everything shut in Japan at New Year?
Not everything, but a lot. Many offices, museums and family-run restaurants stop around 29 December and reopen on 4 January, while department stores reopen on 2 January with fukubukuro sales. Convenience stores, chain restaurants, big shrines and major attractions carry on — expect temples and shopping streets to be extremely busy rather than shut.
