Guide to Golden Week 2022 and 2023: When and What is it?

Golden Week, or Oogata Shuukan, in Japan, is the period when four national holidays cram together and form an (almost) week-long break. This is when inbound travel activities peak in Japan, as a lot of people use this opportunity to use their paid time off to visit other places in the country. People living in urban centers like Tokyo will usually leave the city at the beginning of the week. Trains, airports and tourist spots can get very crowded, too. Overall, the Golden Week is Japan’s third busiest holiday season, following Oshougatsu (New Year) and Obon week, which falls in mid-August.

If you don’t live in Japan, “Golden Week” might sound unfamiliar. We’ll discuss all you need to know about the season, and what to expect.

Feature image is taken from Canva under the Free Media License Agreement.

Table of contents

• What you need to know
• Golden Week 2022
• Golden Week 2023
• Golden Week 2024
• Showa Day: Shouwa no Hi (昭和の日)
• Constitution Memorial Day: Kenpou Kinenbi (憲法記念日)
• Greenery Day: Midori no Hi (みどりの日)
• Children’s Day: Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日)
• Silver Week

Golden Week: What You Need to Know

The Golden Week comprises four national holidays, as follows:

Depending on which day of the week falls during these holidays, you can see an ideal five consecutive holidays. Usually, when there is a gap between one national holiday with the next one, people working in Japan will take a day off to make it a full seven-day holiday. Some companies might even be generous enough to temporarily close down the operation and give their employees free time off.

Golden Week 2022: When Is It?

Unfortunately, the 2022 Golden Week falls on an unfavorable timeline. The three consecutive holidays from May 3 to May 5 fall from Tuesday until Thursday, which means you may need to resume normal activities on Monday and Friday.

Golden Week 2023: When Is It?

Golden Week 2024: When Is It?

Three of the last national holidays will fall on Friday and overlap with the weekends.

Days of the Golden Week

Each of the four holidays has its own unique history. If you would like to know more, then check out some of these articles!

Showa Day: Shouwa no Hi (昭和の日)

Showa Day, while recognized as the start of Golden Week, is meant to contemplate the events of the Showa era (1926-1989) which was governed by the late emperor, Hirohito. The origins of Showa Day are relatively confusing because it is closely connected with two other holidays: The Emperor’s Birthday and Greenery Day. The date of The Emperor’s Birthday changes when a new emperor ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne, and it was from these new enthronements that both Showa Day and Greenery Day were born.

Constitution Memorial Day: Kenpou Kinenbi (憲法記念日)

This holiday commemorates the declaration of Japan’s postwar constitution. It serves as an active reminder of Japan’s history, not only for the hardship endured through Imperial Japan but also for their remarkable progression to a democratic nation.

Greenery Day: Midori no Hi (みどりの日)

Greenery Day is a day dedicated to all things green. It is a day to celebrate the joys of nature. Commencing with a Greenery Day speech from Emperor Akihito, people convene across the country to plant trees. There are also colorful parades through larger cities, and people will often decorate the streets with paper lanterns. Other people prefer to keep it simple by visiting and appreciating an outdoor space near home.

Children’s Day: Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日)

Children’s day is a day to commemorate and command the nation’s youngest. The day has an interesting history strongly connected to China. Perhaps the most visible proclamations of Children’s Day are the elegant flying koinobori (carp-shaped windsocks) that adorn household roofs throughout Japan. These streamers originate from the Chinese legend which claimed that the perseverance and strength of an upstream swimming carp will transform it into a dragon.

Silver Week

Silver Week, much like Golden Week, is a collection of holidays that could lead to an extended 5-day holiday. It occurs in September. This may sound strange because there are only two public holidays in September, so how do you get a 5-day holiday? Japan actually has a law that states that if any working day lies in between two national holidays, that working day is converted to a national holiday. This new holiday is called a Citizen’s holiday, or 国民の休日 (Kokumin no kyuujitsu).

If everything works out, the two holidays will be apart by one day and be right next to the weekend. This is incredibly rare though, and the next time this is going to happen is 2026. The holidays in Silver Week are:

*Autumnal Equinox Day’s date is dependent on the date of Southern Equinox in Japan, which can vary every year. Typically, it will fall on September 23

Conclusion

We hope you learned something new, and be sure to enjoy your Golden Week this year!

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