If you are planning around trains, hotels, and popular sights, it helps to know the busy periods in Japan, when things get much busier than normal. Hotel prices rise, reserved train seats sell out faster, and famous spots get crowded.
The three biggest busy periods in Japan
- Golden Week in late April to early May: a cluster of national holidays, roughly April 29 to May 5.
- Obon in mid-August: usually around August 13 to 16. It is not an official national holiday, but many people take time off to visit family.
- Year-end and New Year in late December to early January: many people travel home, and some shops, restaurants, and attractions close for a few days.
Other times that can feel busy
- Cherry blossom season, especially weekends. Late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto, and later further north.
- Autumn leaves, especially weekends from mid-November to early December in Kyoto and other famous foliage areas.
- Three-day weekends throughout the year, when a national holiday falls on a Monday or Friday.
- Silver Week in September, in years when holidays line up into a longer break.
- School holidays: spring break from late March to early April, and summer holidays from late July through August.
- Lunar New Year in late January or February, when visitor numbers from other parts of Asia rise in popular cities.
What this means for your trip
- Book hotels earlier than usual, especially in popular or small towns.
- Reserve shinkansen and limited express seats in advance. If you are flying into Narita, the Narita Express round trip discount also lets you book seats ahead.
- Visit famous sights early in the morning, and brush up on train and bus etiquette before crowded rides.
- If your dates are flexible, weekdays outside these periods are usually calmer and cheaper.
The Japan National Tourism Organization’s business hours and holidays page explains these major travel periods in English. Their FAQ page also notes that trains can be crowded during holiday seasons and recommends reserving seats in advance.
If you want to check Japan’s official national holiday calendar, here is the Cabinet Office holiday page (Japanese only).