For Japan, the arrival of April means more than just the beginning of beautiful spring days, this month also welcomes a variety of special holidays and festivals after a relatively quiet March.
In addition to warmer weather, Japanese families have an entire week of back to back festivities to look forward to, a celebration known as Golden Week. Starting at the end of April and continuing through the beginning of May, Japan celebrates four national holidays in a row as well as a week off from work and other daily obligations. The week is the longest vacation period of the year for many Japanese employees, making it an extremely popular time to travel. In addition to the traditional practices of each holiday, Japanese citizens are encouraged to use this time to relax, travel, spend time with their family, reflect and enjoy the warmer weather.
The four public holidays that make up Golden Week are Showa Day, celebrated April 29th, Constitution Memorial Day, celebrated May 3rd, Greenery Day, celebrated May 4th, and concludes May 5th with Children’s Day.
Other than the New Year and Obon celebrations, this is Japan’s busiest week of the year so if you ever want to travel to Japan and experience Golden Week for yourself (which I would highly recommend) than make sure you book your trip way way in advance!
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