If you’ve just moved to Japan, you’ll want to mark the country’s public holidays in your calendar. Not only are these days off perfect for exploring the nation’s diverse cities, but you can also use them to delve into the local cuisine and culture.
Here’s what you need to know:
An overview of public holidays in Japan
Japan has 16 public holidays in a year, though many Japanese regions celebrate additional festivals and dates. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, it automatically rolls over to the following Monday, ensuring that no national day of rest goes to waste.

One of the most anticipated stretches is Golden Week, a cluster of holidays including Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day. With multiple consecutive days off, millions take advantage of the break, making it one of the busiest travel periods in Japan.
While not an official holiday, Obon (mid-August) is widely observed as a time to honor ancestors. It’s another major travel period in Japan, as many return to their hometowns for family gatherings and traditional ceremonies.
When are Japan’s public holidays in 2025?
These holidays are celebrated nationwide in Japan:
Date | Weekday | Public holiday |
1–3 January | Mon–Wed | New Year’s Bank Holiday |
13 January | Mon | Coming of Age Day |
11 February | Mon | National Foundation Day |
23 February | Sat | The Emperor’s Birthday |
20 March | Thu | Spring Equinox |
29 April | Tue | Shōwa Day |
3 May | Sat | Constitution Memorial Day |
4 May Observed on Monday, 6 May, day off | Sun | Greenery Day |
5 May | Mon | Children’s Day |
21 July | Mon | Sea Day |
11 August | Mon | Mountain Day |
15 September | Mon | Respect for the Aged Day |
23 September | Mon | Autumn Equinox |
13 October | Mon | Sports Day |
3 November | Mon | Culture Day |
23 November Observed on Monday, 24 November, day off | Sun | Labor Thanksgiving Day |
31 December | Wed | New Year’s Eve bank holiday |
Local holidays and festivals in 2025
Japan’s regions govern with a fair amount of autonomy. Because of this, many holidays and festivals are only observed in particular cities.
In some areas, businesses (such as grocery stores, attractions, museums, and banks) will close for the occasion. However, this is not always the case; check with your employer to see if you also have the day off. If it is a major public holiday in your local prefecture, remember to also stock up on food and plan some fun things to do.

While the list below includes some local holidays, it’s impossible to list them all. It’s recommended you check with your local municipality to find out any concrete dates.
Date(s) | Weekday(s) | Holiday | Where celebrated |
4–11 February | Tue–Tue | Sapporo Yuki Matsuri Snow Festival | Sapporo |
14–15 April | Mon–Tue | Takayama Spring Festival | Takayama |
15 May | Thu | Aori Matsuri | Kyoto |
Month of July | Tue–Thu | Gion Matsuri | Kyoto |
16–26 July | Wed–Sat | Tenjin Matsuri | Osaka |
2–7 August | Sat–Thu | Nebuta Matsuri | Aomori |
2 August | Sat | Edogawa Fireworks Festival | Tokyo |
2 August | Sat | Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival | Osaka |
11–15 August | Mon–Fri | Awa Odori | Shikoku |
13–15 August | Wed–Fri | Hokkai Bon Odori | Sapporo |
16 August | Sat | Kyoto Gozan Okuribi | Kyoto |
9–10 October | Thu–Fri | Takayama Fall Festival | Takayama |
22 October | Wed | Kurama Fire Festival + Jidai Matsuri | Kyoto |
2-3 December | Tue–Wed | Chichibu Yomatsuri | Saitama |
Other important dates in 2025
Alongside national and local holidays, you’ll want to make note of these other prominent dates in Japan:
Date(s) | Weekday(s) | Occasion |
2 February | Sun | Setsubun (the eve of the first day of Spring) |
3 March | Mon | Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival) |
17–23 March | Mon–Sun | Ohigan (equinoctial week) |
late March – early May (depending on your region) | Hanami (Cherry Blossom Festival) | |
8 April | Tue | Kanbutsu-e (Buddha’s Birthday) |
8 April | Tue | Hanamatsuri (Flower Festival) |
7 July | Mon | Tanabata (Star Festival) |
13–16 August | Wed–Sat | Obon Festival |
15 November | Sat | Shichi-go-san (Seven-Five-Three) |
When are Japan’s public holidays in 2026?
Date | Weekday | Public holiday |
1–3 January | Thu–Sat | New Year’s Bank Holiday |
12 January | Mon | Coming of Age Day |
11 February | Wed | National Foundation Day |
23 February | Mon | The Emperor’s Birthday |
20 March | Fri | Spring Equinox |
29 April | Wed | Shōwa Day |
3 May Observed on Monday, 6 May, day off | Sun | Constitution Memorial Day |
4 May | Mon | Greenery Day |
5 May | Tue | Children’s Day |
20 July | Mon | Sea Day |
11 August | Tue | Mountain Day |
21 September | Mon | Respect for the Aged Day |
22 September | Tue | Bridge public holiday |
23 September | Wed | Autumn Equinox |
12 October | Mon | Sports Day |
3 November | Tue | Culture Day |
23 November | Sun | Labor Thanksgiving Day |
31 December | Wed | New Year’s Eve bank holiday |
Local holidays and festivals in 2026
Date(s) | Weekday(s) | Holiday | Where celebrated |
4–11 February | Wed–Wed | Sapporo Yuki Matsuri Snow Festival | Sapporo |
14–15 April | Tue–Wed | Takayama Spring Festival | Takayama |
15 May | Fri | Aoi Matsuri | Kyoto |
Month of July | Mon–Tue | Gion Matsuri | Kyoto |
16–26 July | Thu–Sun | Tenjin Matsuri | Osaka |
2–7 August | Sun–Fri | Nebuta Matsuri | Aomori |
2 August | Sun | Edogawa Fireworks Festival | Tokyo |
2 August | Sun | Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival | Osaka |
12–15 August | Wed–Sat | Awa Odori | Shikoku |
13–15 August | Thu–Sat | Hokkai Bon Odori | Sapporo |
16 August | Sun | Kyoto Gozan Okuribi | Kyoto |
9–10 October | Fri–Sat | Takayama Fall Festival | Takayama |
22 October | Thu | Kurama Fire Festival + Jidai Matsuri | Kyoto |
2-3 December | Wed–Thu | Chichibu Yomatsuri | Saitama |
Other important dates in 2026
Date(s) | Weekday(s) | Occasion |
3 February | Tue | Setsubun (the eve of the first day of Spring) |
3 March | Tue | Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival) |
17–23 March | Tue–Mon | Ohigan (equinoctial week) |
late March – early May (depending on your region) | Hanami (Cherry Blossom Festival) | |
8 April | Wed | Kanbutsu-e (Buddha’s Birthday) |
8 April | Wed | Hanamatsuri (Flower Festival) |
7 July | Tue | Tanabata (Star Festival) |
13–15 August | Thu–Sat | Obon Festival |
15 November | Sun | Shichi-go-san (Seven-Five-Three) |
When were Japan’s public holidays in 2024?
Date | Weekday | Public holiday |
1–3 January | Mon–Wed | New Year’s Bank Holiday |
8 January | Mon | Coming of Age Day |
11 February Observed on Monday, 12 February, day off | Sun | National Foundation Day |
23 February | Fri | The Emperor’s Birthday |
20 March | Wed | Spring Equinox |
29 April | Mon | Shōwa Day |
3 May | Fr | Constitution Memorial Day |
4 May | Sat | Greenery Day |
5 May Observed on Monday, 6 May, day off | Sun | Children’s Day |
15 July | Mon | Sea Day |
11 August Observed on Monday, 12 August, day off | Sun | Mountain Day |
16 September | Mon | Respect for the Aged Day |
22 September Observed on Monday, 23 September, day off | Sun | Autumn Equinox |
14 October | Mon | Sports Day |
3 November Observed on Monday, 4 November, day off | Sun | Culture Day |
23 November | Sat | Labor Thanksgiving Day |
31 December | Tue | New Year’s Eve bank holiday |
Local holidays and festivals in 2024
Date(s) | Weekday(s) | Holiday | Where celebrated |
4–11 February | Sun–Sun | Sapporo Yuki Matsuri Snow Festival | Sapporo |
14–15 April | Sun–Mon | Takayama Spring Festival | Takayama |
15 May | Wed | Aoi Matsuri | Kyoto |
7–17 June | Fri–Mon | Sannō Matsuri | Tokyo |
Month of July | Mon–Wed | Gion Matsuri | Kyoto |
16–26 July | Tue–Fri | Tenjin Matsuri | Osaka |
2–7 August | Fri–Wed | Nebuta Matsuri | Aomori |
3 August | Sat | Edogawa Fireworks Festival | Tokyo |
3 August | Sat | Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival | Osaka |
12–15 August | Mon–Thu | Awa Odori | Shikoku |
13–15 August | Tue–Thu | Hokkai Bon Odori | Sapporo |
16 August | Fri | Kyoto Gozan Okuribi | Kyoto |
9–10 October | Wed–Thu | Takayama Fall Festival | Takayama |
22 October | Tue | Kurama Fire Festival + Jidai Matsuri | Kyoto |
2-3 December | Mon–Tue | Chichibu Yomatsuri | Saitama |
Other important dates in 2024
Date(s) | Weekday(s) | Occasion |
3 February | Sat | Setsubun (the eve of the first day of Spring) |
3 March | Sun | Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival) |
19–25 March | Thu–Wed | Ohigan (equinoctial week) |
late March – early May (depending on your region) | Wed–Sun | Hanami (Cherry Blossom Festival) |
8 April | Mon | Kanbutsu-e (Buddha’s Birthday) |
8 April | Mon | Hanamatsuri (Flower Festival) |
7 July | Sun | Tanabata (Star Festival) |
16–18 August | Fri–Sun | Obon Festival |
15 November | Fri | Shichi-go-san (Seven-Five-Three) |
When are the school holidays in Japan?
Planning a family holiday? Don’t forget to mark the school holidays in Japan (学校休暇) in your calendar. Local schools typically begin the academic year in April and end in March, operating on a trimester system. In between, there are two vacations – the summer and winter holidays – plus semester breaks and public holidays.

Of course, some regional variations may be across schools in different cities and prefectures. What’s more, international schools may have breaks or days off. To ensure you have the correct dates – and to organize any necessary childcare – check with your children’s school.