Make reservations and early plans! Everyone in Japan knows Golden Week is crowded, so people tend to handle the crowds well (or, at least, have mentally prepared themselves to deal with them). The between days during Golden Week are “less bad,” but that's relative. This is still peak travel season for people in Japan.
Japan is certainly enjoyable in spring, but consider your trip timing. Only make plans to travel to Japan during Golden Week (usually around the end of April to the beginning of May) if you're willing to pay more, cram onto trains, and wait in longer queues to buy tickets and see sights.
Golden Week 2020
In 2020, the weekends are placed in a way to create a 5-day weekend. However, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, people are requested not to travel during this year's Golden Week.It's called “?????????” or “ ???? ????????? ”. “ ?? ???? ” means “big”, or “big format”, and “ ?? ????? ” means “consecutive holidays”. So “ ???? ????????? ” is the “Big consecutive holiday” in Japan, and usually refers to Golden Week. Golden Week consists of several public holidays.
In Japan, the Golden Week is a series of four national holidays that take place within one week at the end of April to the beginning of May each year. It is often considered a time of vacation for the Japanese people, and many people receive time off from their secular employment on these bank holidays.
Golden Week (?????????, Gōruden Wīku, Gōruden Uīku) (or GW) is a week from the 29th of April to early May containing a number of Japanese holidays.
"Golden Week" Many Japanese workers get about a week off around the end of April and beginning of May. This is because there is cluster of national holidays during this time. The "week" starts on April 29, a national holiday that used to be celebrated as the birthday of Emperor Showa, who passed away in 1989.
of course - golden week is a major commercial highpoint. there will be millions about spending their 12,000 yen gifts from the government. in japan every holiday is a time to hit the shops. Most of the shops in the centre of Tokyo should be open, and busy.
To avoid crowds, a good idea is to go out on a weekday morning, either right before or just after rush hour. It gets busier during lunch and again in the late afternoon and evening. Generally, nowhere is too busy early in the morning.
Japan, while not especially large, is surprisingly vast. Frigid winters in Hokkaido make the subtropical islands of Okinawa seems worlds away. If you aren't traveling to hit the ski slopes, the months from March to May and from September to November are generally considered the best times to visit the country.
Osaka is the designated city of the Kansai region of Japan. Although these spots will be the most popular among Japanese people during Golden Week, there are certainly some less crowded attractions that are also quite enjoyable during Golden Week, four of which you can read about here.
Enjoy Golden Week!7 Places To Visit In And Around Tokyo
- Get a Breath of Fresh Air at Showa Kinen Park.
- Enjoy the Great Outdoors on Mount Mitake in Tokyo.
- Quiet Shopping and Entertainment in the Heart of Tokyo.
- Spend a Relaxed Day by the Ocean in Yokohama.
- Improve Your Love Life in Kawagoe.
- Learn About Historical Japan in Oku-Nikko and Edo Wonderland.
Golden Week is a Japanese holiday that is a popular time for Japanese to travel. It's not as crowded as cherry blossom season, but it's still best to avoid if you don't like crowds. If you visit during foliage season, you can avoid the crowds with our Kyoto Off-the-Beaten Track Fall Foliage Itinerary.
Tokyo and Kyoto are connected with each other by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen. Nozomi trains require about 140 minutes to reach Kyoto from Tokyo, Hikari trains about 160 minutes and Kodama trains about four hours.
Shōwa Day. Shōwa Day (????, Shōwa no Hi) is a Japanese annual holiday held on April 29. It honors the birthday of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), the reigning emperor from 1926 to 1989. Shō (?) means “shining” or “bright”, and wa (?) means “peace”, signifying the "enlightened peace" that citizens receive.
Picking up in June and going until the end of August, Japanese festival season is a great time to visit Japan. While the festivals themselves can get packed, this is only part of the charm. Other than that, most activities are not terribly packed at this time.
"Golden Week" Many Japanese workers get about a week off around the end of April and beginning of May. This is because there is cluster of national holidays during this time. The "week" starts on April 29, a national holiday that used to be celebrated as the birthday of Emperor Showa, who passed away in 1989.
New Year (shogatsu):
This is the most important holiday in Japan. While only January 1 is designated as a national holiday, many businesses remain closed through January 3.The national holidays making up the Golden Week are:
- April 29. Showa Day (Showa no hi): April 29 is the birthday of former Emperor Showa, who died in the year 1989.
- May 3. Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi):
- May 4. Greenery Day (Midori no hi):
- May 5. Children's Day (Kodomo no hi):
Showa Day – April 29
Showa is the name of an era in Japan. Showa Day was established as a day to reflect back on that time period. In 2021, Showa Day is on Thursday, April 29. April 30 and May 1 are not public holidays, but many people will likely take the day off to get an 8-day Golden Week vacation.Silver Week (????????, Shirubā Wīku) is a new Japanese term applied to a string of consecutive holidays in September. In 2009, the term gained popularity, referring to the unusual occurrence that year of a weekend followed by three Japanese public holidays in September.
The Golden Week (???), in the People's Republic of China, is the name given to a semi-annual 7-day or 8-day national holiday, implemented in 2000: Chunyun, the Golden Week around the Chinese New Year, begins in January or February. The "National Day Golden Week" begins around 1 October.
Korea's Golden Week. Right now in Korea, lots of people are enjoying 'golden week'. Golden Week is when multiple Korean Holidays happen right after another. Because ?? follows the lunar calendar, it can be different each year.
Obon. Obon (??) is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits, obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited and food offerings are made at house altars and temples.
Japan is certainly enjoyable in spring, but consider your trip timing. Only make plans to travel Japan during Golden Week (the end of April and beginning of May) if you're willing to pay more, cram onto trains, and wait in longer queues to buy tickets and see sights.
Traveling in reverse can work out quite well. This means that the beginning of Golden Week is a good time to already be in Japan and to travel towards Tokyo by shinkansen ahead of the curve, and vice versa the end of Golden Week is a good time to travel on the shinkansen away from Tokyo.
around 2 hours and 15 minutes
The best area to stay in Kyoto for tourists is Downtown Kawaramachi. Other recommended best places to stay in Kyoto are Gion, Kyoto Station and Central Kyoto. Downtown Kawaramachi offers plenty of shops and restaurants, and is in walking distance to historical Gion, making it the best place to stay in Kyoto.
Nozomi trains require about 140 minutes to reach Kyoto from Tokyo, Hikari trains about 160 minutes and Kodama trains about four hours. The regular one way fare from Tokyo to Kyoto is 13,320 yen for a non-reserved seat or around 14,000 yen for a reserved seat.
2019 schedule
As 29 April and 3 May are already holidays, this caused 30 April and 2 May to be public holidays as well, making 2019's Golden Week ten consecutive days, from Saturday 27 April through Monday 6 May.The Takeaway
- Tokyo is huge, so it's important to stay somewhere convenient.
- The best places to stay are Shinjuku, the Tokyo Station Area, Ginza/Hibiya, Shibuya or Roppongi.
- Other decent places to stay include Nihombashi, Shinagawa, Hamamatsucho and Shiodome.
- Try to stay near a Yamanote Line (Tokyo loop line) station.
