All you need to know about Golden Week - the longest holiday in Japan

Since there are only a few more weeks until the holiday, GoEMON figured that this would be the perfect time to briefly introduce Golden Week and everything you should keep in mind before the holiday officially starts. Especially since we know many of you are planning to travel around Japan during this period! 

Let’s get started, shall we?

I. What is Golden Week?

As mentioned earlier, Golden Week is a string of Japanese national holidays starting from April 29 to early May. This is one of the rare occasions when where the entire country takes a break from their busy everyday lives. Although there are only four holidays in Golden Week, many people would use their allotted paid vacation days to take the entire week, or sometimes even more, off. 

The term was coined in 1952 by the managing director of Daiei Film Co., Ltd, marking the period where the movie industry saw the largest number of tickets sold. The phrase then gained public recognition and since then has become the official name for this cluster of holidays.

II. Holidays celebrated in Golden Week 

The list of holidays celebrated in Golden Week and their corresponding history goes as follows: 

• Showa Day (昭和の日) 

Celebrated on April 29, this is the holiday celebrating Emperor Showa’s (1926-1989) birthday. After his death in 1989, it was changed to Greenery Day before returning to its original name of Showa Day in 2007. 

• Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日)

As can be inferred from its name, Constitution Memorial Day is held on May 3 to honor the establishment of Japan’s Constitution back in 1947. Additionally, the holiday is also the Japanese expectation of the country’s development.

• Greenery Day (みどりの日)

 Held on May 4, Greenery Day is a day to express gratitude to nature. The name originates from the fact that Emperor Showa’s love for plants and would often attend tree-planting festivals across the country. In a way, the holiday is also one that stresses the importance of modern environmental issues. 

• Children’s Day (こどもの日)

Children's Day, which is celebrated on May 5, is a holiday for all children all across Japan. Its history dates back to the Nara period when it was first known as Tango no Sekku, or Boy’s Day - a holiday specifically dedicated to sons and their fathers. In 1948, it was changed into Children’s Day to celebrate all children, thus recognized as a National Holiday by the Japanese Government. 

During the days leading up to and after Children’s Day, it is not uncommon to spot carp-shaped flags fluttering in the wind while walking down the residential areas of Japan. The flags are to celebrate and wish for the children’s health, happiness, and development. 

III. Things to keep in mind 

Everything comes to a halt during Golden Week, with adults off work and students taking a break from school, making this the perfect time for traveling. Thus, there are certain things that you should keep in mind, as well as several preparations to make before the holiday comes. 

1. Bank and ATM services  

Most banks would pause all activities during Golden Week so as to let their employees rest after a year of hard work. Thus, during this time, customers can only use the ATM for simple tasks, such as money transactions or withdrawing cash. 

However, as this is one of the busiest periods in Japan when everyone is out traveling, naturally, the need to withdraw cash would also increase as well. Thus, it is very common for ATMs to run out of cash due to high demand and the lack of timely supply from banks. To avoid this from happening, we recommend making transactions and withdrawing cash at banks and ATMs a few days to a week or more before Golden Week officially starts. 

2. Post office and delivery services

Similarly to banks, several post offices and delivery services will also not be available during Golden Week. Thus, if you have any important packages that need to be delivered immediately, it is best to avoid sending them during Golden Week. 

3. Plan your trip 

As mentioned earlier, this is one of the busiest periods where not only travelers would be flooding into Japan but also the Japanese going on trips with their families and friends. As a result, you should plan your trip and especially reserve your hotel rooms way ahead of time. 

4. The crowd

Once again, the streets of Japan will be extremely crowded with both local and international tourists during this time of the year. If you are an introvert who wants to avoid the crowd as much as possible then it would be best to stay away from hot, touristy locations since they would definitely be jam-packed with people. The same goes for city centers of big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto. Instead, you can try visiting the countryside or other less populated areas. 

In this article, GoEMON has introduced you to each of the holidays in Golden Week, as well as some things to keep in mind before the holiday starts for the best experience. We hope that the article was of use to you! 

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