Holidays and Festivals of Japan

Edit 12 May 2020: Updated certain holiday dates that have been moved for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

When planning a vacation in Japan, or any other country for that matter, it is highly advisable to know when its holidays take place.  Sometimes it is not a good idea to travel during such times.  Businesses may be closed, and planes, trains, and automobile routes may be more crowded with people commuting to meet with their loved ones.  But, on the other hand, these celebrations are unique experiences which may enhance your voyage.

The three busiest travel periods in Japan are:

• New Year's Day, from the end of December to the beginning of January,
• Golden Week, from the end of April to the beginning of May, and
• O-bon, in the middle of August.

Travel density tends to be busiest going from the big cities at the start of these periods, and going back to the cities at the end.  In addition, school vacation periods may also see increased crowds in places of interest.  In addition to the three periods listed above, students also get off from the end of March to the beginning of April (in between school years), and six weeks from the end of July to the end of August (overlapping with O-bon).

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The following are all of Japan's national holidays.  With the exception of New Year's Day, commercial businesses are often open on the holidays themselves, even when they would otherwise be closed.  In such cases, they will instead be closed on the day after.

New Year's Day - 1 January
Unlike other East Asian cultures, Japan officially uses the Gregorian calendar, hence, the new year (元日, Ganjitsu) starts on the 1st of January.  The kadomatsu (門松, "gate pine"), a decoration including three cross-cut bamboo stalks (shown below), is put up in many places for New Year's.

Nesnad [GFDL or CC BY 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Coming-of-Age Day - 2nd Monday of January
Coming-of-Age Day (成人の日, Seijin no Hi) is a celebration of men and women who are entering adulthood (age 20).  From 1948 to 1999, it was held on the fixed date of 20 January.  Toshiya (shown below), an archery exhibition held at Sanjusangen-do in Kyoto, is held on the Sunday before Coming-of-Age Day.

No machine-readable author provided. Peter 111 assumed (based on copyright claims). [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

National Foundation Day - 11 February
National Foundation Day (建国記念の日, Kenkoku Kinen no Hi) is a celebration of the founding of Japan.  Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan, is believed to have ascended to his position in 660 BC, on the first day and month of the lunar calendar (or, 11 February).  Modern-day celebrations of this holiday are more muted than they were before World War II, when it was known as Empire Day (紀元節, Kigensetsu).

Spring Equinox Day - 20/21 March
Spring Equinox Day (春分の日, Shunbun no Hi) is the first day of Spring.  Before 1948, this date was a Shinto holiday known as Shunki Kōresai (春季皇霊祭), a day of ancestor worship.  Even nowadays, this holiday is a time when Japanese visit the graves of their ancestors.

Showa Day - 29 April
Showa Day (昭和の日, Shōwa no Hi) was the birthday of Emperor Hirohito (reigned 1926-1989), posthumously known as the Showa Emperor.  Its purpose is for the public to reflect on the legacy of the emperor, which led to the events of World War II, but also Japan's economic growth after the war.  Part of Golden Week.

Constitution Day - 3 May
Constitution Day (憲法記念日, Kenpō Kinenbi) is a celebration of the Japanese postwar constitution, which came into effect on this day in 1947.  Negotiated after Japan's defeat in World War II, the new constitution uniquely prohibits Japan's military from engaging in offensive wars.  Part of Golden Week.

Greenery Day - 4 May
Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no Hi) is celebration of nature.  Before 2007, Greenery Day was celebrated on 29 April; afterwards, it was replaced with Showa Day and moved to 4 May.  Its original date was chosen due to Showa's own love of nature.  Part of Golden Week.

Children's Day - 5 May
Children's Day (こどもの日, Kodomo no Hi) is a celebration of children.  Also known as Boy's Day (端午の節句, Tango no Sekku), this holiday used to focus on boys and their fathers, to contrast with Girl's Day (雛祭り, Hina-matsuri) on 3 March.  After 1948, the holiday was re-defined to also honour girls and their mothers.  A popular decoration of Children's Day is the koinobori (鯉のぼり), a set of carp-shaped wind streamers (shown below).  Part of Golden Week.

663highland [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5]

Marine Day - 3rd Monday of July / 23 July
Marine Day (海の日, Umi no Hi) is a celebration of Japan's seas and waters.  On this day in 1876, the Meiji Emperor returned from a steamship voyage to Hokkaido.  Marine Day also roughly corresponds with the end of the rainy season in much of Japan.  From 1996 through 2002, it was held on the fixed date of 20 July.  This holiday will be moved to 23 July to coordinate with the 2020 Summer Olympics's opening ceremonies.  Despite the games having been delayed to next year, these new holiday dates will still take effect in 2020.

Mountain Day - 11 August / 10 August
Mountain Day (山の日, Yama no Hi) is a celebration of Japan's mountains.  It is Japan's newest official holiday, having been drafted in 2014 and first observed in 2016.  Mountain Day roughly corresponds with the Bon Festival, a traditional holiday period in mid-August.  This holiday will be moved to 10 August to coordinate with the 2020 Summer Olympics's closing ceremonies.  Despite the games having been delayed to next year, these new holiday dates will still take effect in 2020.

Respect for the Aged Day - 3rd Monday of September
Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日, Keirō no Hi) is a celebration of senior citizens and long life.  From 1966 to 2002, it was held on the fixed date of 15 September.

Autumn Equinox Day - 22/23 September
Autumn Equinox Day (秋分の日, Shūbun no Hi) is the first day of Fall.  Before 1948, this date was a Shinto holiday known as Shūki Kōreisai (秋季皇霊祭).  As with the Spring Equinox, many Japanese also visit their ancestor's graves around this time.

Health and Sports Day - 2nd Monday of October / 24 July
Health and Sports Day (体育の日, Taiiku no Hi) is a celebration of sports and physical activity.  Many schools and businesses hold sports competitions on this day.  From 1966 to 1999, it was held on the fixed date of 10 October, the day the first Summer Olympics in Tokyo were opened, in 1964.  This holiday will be moved to 24 July to coordinate with the 2020 Summer Olympics's opening ceremonies.  Despite the games having been delayed to next year, these new holiday dates will still take effect in 2020.

Culture Day - 3 November
Culture Day (文化の日, Bunka no Hi) is a celebration of artistic and academic endeavour.  Many local and prefecture governments hold culture fairs around this time.  On this day in 1946, the Emperor officially approved Japan's new post-war constitution.  3 November was also the birthday of the Meiji Emperor (reigned 1868-1912).

Labour Thanksgiving Day - 23 November
Labour Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日, Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is a celebration of workers, and of giving thanks for their work.  Before 1948, this date was a harvest festival known as Niiname-sai or Shinjō-sai (新嘗祭).

Emperor's Birthday - 23 December
The birthday of the standing Emperor (天皇誕生日, Tennō Tanjōbi) is celebrated as a national holiday.  Currently, this is the 23rd of December, the birthday of Emperor Akihito (reigned 1989-present).  In the event of Akihito's death or abdication, this holiday will move to 23 February, the birthday of the heir-apparent Prince Naruhito.  This, along with 2 January, are the only two days when the public are allowed into the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where the Emperor and his family make public appearances (shown below).

Nesnad [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

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In addition to the above, there are other festivals and holidays which do not have official status, but are commonly celebrated in various ways.

Setsubun - 3 February
Setsubun (節分) is the traditional beginning of Spring in the lunar calendar.  Its customs involve driving bad luck out of one's household and good luck in.  The big one is mamemaki, where roasted soybeans are thrown out of the door, or into crowds at a shrine or temple, amidst chants of "Oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi!" (鬼は外! 福は内!, "Demons/bad luck out; good luck in!").

Valentine's Day - 14 February
Valentine's Day (バレンタインデー, Barentain Dē) is a celebration of love and romance, as it is in the western world.  A unique custom in Japan is that women give chocolates or other such gifts to their boyfriends or other male colleagues.

Girls' Day - 3 March
Girls' Day (雛祭り, Hina matsuri) is a day of honouring young girls, although that function has also been merged into Children's Day (described above) in more recent times.  The trademark decoration of the Hina festival is an a display of dolls, depicting members of an imperial court, arranged on a multi-tiered shelf (shown below).

Daderot [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons

White Day - 14 March
White Day (ホワイトデー, Howaito Dē) is a variation of Valentine's Day, unique to eastern Asia.  On this day, one month after Valentine's Day, men give chocolates or other such gifts to their girlfriends or other female colleagues.

Okinawa Memorial Day - 23 June
Okinawa Memorial Day (慰霊の日, Irei no Hi, lit. 'the day to console the dead') commemorates all who passed away during the Battle of Okinawa from World War II (1 April - 22 June 1945).  This was the deadliest battle in the war's Pacific theatre, with an estimated 160,000 casualties on both Japanese and Allied sides, plus 40-150 thousand more civilian death.  Okinawa Memorial Day is observed as a national holiday in Okinawa Prefecture, but is not observed elsewhere in Japan.

Tanabata - 7 July/August
Tanabata (七夕), also known as the Star Festival, is based on a folktale of two gods in love, who are only able to meet once a year.  It is based on the Chinese festival Qixi, which is held on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, usually in August.  Different communities in Japan will celebrate it either in July or August.  A common tradition of Tanabata is people writing their wishes down on strips of paper, and hanging them onto bamboo trees (shown below).  Whilst observed nationwide, one of Japan's largest and most famous Tanabata festivals is held in Sendai, in the Tohoku region.

★Kumiko★ from Tokyo, Japan [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Bon Festival - 13-15 August
The Bon Festival (お盆, O-bon) is a Buddhist-based celebration of one's ancestors.  Held over a period of three days, its customs include setting tiny boats with candles adrift in the water, and the Bon O-dori (盆踊り), a folk dance around a small tower with taiko drummers (shown below).  Some regions, most notably in the Kanto Plain, celebrate it in July instead of August.  Similar festivals, such as the Ghost Festival in China, are observed at this time in other Asian cultures.

Pocsywe [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Shichi-Go-San - 15 November
Shichi-Go-San (七五三), meaning "seven-five-three", is a celebration to honour three and five-year-old boys, and three and seven-year-old girls.  They are dressed up in formal kimonos and taken to visit a local Shinto shrine, often for the first time in their lives.

Christmas Day - 25 December
Christmas (クリスマス, Kurisumasu) is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  In Japan, Christmas is not commonly observed with the same religious significance as in the western world.  Its secular, commercial aspects have crossed over, however.  Christmas is also a popular time for couples to go dating.

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In addition to all those, many communities in Japan celebrate their own local festivals (祭 / 祭り, matsuri) .  Many of them are centred around a particular shrine.  Parades start and/or end at those shrines, and are led by mikoshi (神輿), hand-carried floats bearing the shrine's patron god.  One can also expect to find yatai (屋台), small stalls selling food and/or souvenirs, or hosting carnival-style games.  Here are some notable festivals from the bigger cities:

• Wakakusa Yamayaki (若草山焼き) in Nara, on the fourth Saturday of January
• Sapporo Snow Festival (さっぽろ雪まつり, Sapporo Yuki-matsuri) in Sapporo, for one week in February
• Takayama Spring Festival (高山祭) in Takayama, on 14-15 April
• Aoi-matsuri (葵祭) in Kyoto, on 15 May
• Kanda-matsuri (神田祭) in Tokyo, on the weekend of 15 May, in odd-numbered years
• Sanja-matsuri (三社祭) in Tokyo, on the third weekend of May
• Sanno-matsuri (山王祭, Sannō-matsuri) in Tokyo, for one week in June, in even-numbered years
• Gion-matsuri (祇園祭) in Kyoto, in July
• Hakata Gion Yamakasa (博多祇園山笠) in Fukuoka, on 1-15 July
• Tenjin-matsuri (天神祭) in Osaka, on 25 July
• Aomori Nebuta-matsuri (青森ねぶた祭り) in Aomori, on 2-7 August
• Kanto-matsuri (秋田竿燈まつり, Akita Kantō-matsuri) in Akita, on 3-7 August
• Awa-odori (阿波踊り) in Tokushima, on 12-15 August
• Takayama Autumn Festival (高山祭) in Takayama, on 9-10 October
• Jidai-matsuri (時代祭) in Kyoto, on 22 October

In addition to the above, festival-style installments are frequently set up in spots with lots of cherry blossoms in the spring (for example, Ueno Park in Tokyo), or maple leaves in the fall (for example, the Maple Corridor at Lake Kawaguchi).  With some of the larger festivals, especially the ones in Takayama, Aomori, and Akita, there is a risk of hotel rooms filling up or just being more expensive.  If you are interested in visiting those festivals, you are strongly advised to book your hotels as early as they become available, or consider staying a bit farther away and commuting by train.  Other than that, festivals are a lively way to enhance your stay in Japan, so be on the lookout for something good!