Golden week is one of Japans busiest travel periods. Many Japanese take paid time off work during the holiday few days during the week that holidays fall on, but some companies also close down completely and give their employees time off.

The longest vacation period of the year for most Japanese jobs, Golden Week is an extremely popular time to travel. Flights, trains, and hotels are often fully booked despite significantly higher rates at this time. Expect to pay two times the average flight price. This also affects foreign destinations as well.

The holidays that make golden week are as follows:

April 29th
Showa No Hi
Showa Day:
The birthday of former Emperor Showa. Before 2007, April 29 was known as Greenery Day (now celebrated on May 4).

May 3rd
Kenpo Kinenbi