Public holidays in Japan
The Holidays Act names sixteen days and makes each of them a day off. Two more kinds of day off come out of the same law: when a holiday lands on a Sunday the next ordinary day is taken instead, and an ordinary day with a holiday on either side becomes one too.
Long weekends
Three or more days off in a row, counting Saturdays and Sundays. These are the weeks the trains, the temples and the hotels fill up.
- Jan 10 – Jan 12 3 days
- Feb 21 – Feb 23 3 days
- Mar 20 – Mar 22 3 days
- May 2 – May 6 5 days
- Jul 18 – Jul 20 3 days
- Sep 19 – Sep 23 5 days
- Oct 10 – Oct 12 3 days
- Nov 21 – Nov 23 3 days
- Jan 1 – Jan 3 3 days
- Jan 9 – Jan 11 3 days
- Mar 20 – Mar 22 3 days
- May 1 – May 5 5 days
- Jul 17 – Jul 19 3 days
- Sep 18 – Sep 20 3 days
- Oct 9 – Oct 11 3 days
2026
| Jan 1Thu | New Year's Day 元日 |
| Jan 12Mon | Coming of Age Day 成人の日 |
| Feb 11Wed | National Foundation Day 建国記念の日 |
| Feb 23Mon | The Emperor's Birthday 天皇誕生日 |
| Mar 20Fri | Vernal Equinox Day 春分の日 |
| Apr 29Wed | Shōwa Day 昭和の日 |
| May 3Sun | Constitution Memorial Day 憲法記念日 |
| May 4Mon | Greenery Day みどりの日 |
| May 5Tue | Children's Day こどもの日 |
| May 6Wed | Substitute holiday 振替休日 the holiday fell on a Sunday |
| Jul 20Mon | Marine Day 海の日 |
| Aug 11Tue | Mountain Day 山の日 |
| Sep 21Mon | Respect for the Aged Day 敬老の日 |
| Sep 22Tue | Holiday between two holidays 国民の休日 an ordinary day with a holiday on either side |
| Sep 23Wed | Autumnal Equinox Day 秋分の日 |
| Oct 12Mon | Sports Day スポーツの日 |
| Nov 3Tue | Culture Day 文化の日 |
| Nov 23Mon | Labor Thanksgiving Day 勤労感謝の日 |
2027
| Jan 1Fri | New Year's Day 元日 |
| Jan 11Mon | Coming of Age Day 成人の日 |
| Feb 11Thu | National Foundation Day 建国記念の日 |
| Feb 23Tue | The Emperor's Birthday 天皇誕生日 |
| Mar 21Sun | Vernal Equinox Day 春分の日 |
| Mar 22Mon | Substitute holiday 振替休日 the holiday fell on a Sunday |
| Apr 29Thu | Shōwa Day 昭和の日 |
| May 3Mon | Constitution Memorial Day 憲法記念日 |
| May 4Tue | Greenery Day みどりの日 |
| May 5Wed | Children's Day こどもの日 |
| Jul 19Mon | Marine Day 海の日 |
| Aug 11Wed | Mountain Day 山の日 |
| Sep 20Mon | Respect for the Aged Day 敬老の日 |
| Sep 23Thu | Autumnal Equinox Day 秋分の日 |
| Oct 11Mon | Sports Day スポーツの日 |
| Nov 3Wed | Culture Day 文化の日 |
| Nov 23Tue | Labor Thanksgiving Day 勤労感謝の日 |
What this page does not say
Whether a particular museum, shop or restaurant is open on one of these days. No open source carries opening hours for Osaka, so this site holds none, and a line here about what usually closes would be a guess. Each sight page links the place's own site, which is where to ask.
Sources
- 内閣府 国民の祝日について · dates
- 国民の祝日に関する法律（昭和23年法律第178号） · the rules above
- Wikidata · names in each language
Read 2026-09-23. The two equinox days are not fixed by the law: the National Astronomical Observatory publishes them in the gazette each February for the following year, which is why they are read from the Cabinet Office file rather than worked out here.
