Japanese Public Holiday Calendar
＋More features: long weekends of three days or more
Long weekends in that year (three or more days of weekend plus holidays in a row)
Useful when planning a trip or a visit home. Only stretches where Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays run together are listed.
Japan's public holidays are not the same as the ones in your home country, and several of them move every year (Coming-of-Age Day, Vernal Equinox Day and others), with substitute holidays added on top. This tool shows when each Japanese holiday falls and how many days are left until the next one, so you know which days city halls, banks and clinics will be closed, and when the country's long weekends are.
How to use
- When you open the page, the next public holiday and the number of days until it appear at the top.
- Choose a year to see the full list of that year's public holidays.
- To find long weekends of three days or more, open “＋More features”.
How the holidays are decided
- Holidays on a fixed date: New Year's Day (January 1), National Foundation Day (February 11), The Emperor's Birthday (February 23), Shōwa Day (April 29), Constitution Memorial Day (May 3), Greenery Day (May 4), Children's Day (May 5), Mountain Day (August 11), Culture Day (November 3), Labor Thanksgiving Day (November 23)
- Holidays that move: Coming-of-Age Day (2nd Monday of January), Marine Day (3rd Monday of July), Respect for the Aged Day (3rd Monday of September), Sports Day (2nd Monday of October). Vernal Equinox Day and Autumnal Equinox Day are fixed year by year from astronomical calculations
- Substitute Holiday: when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the nearest following weekday becomes a holiday
- Citizens' Holiday: a weekday sandwiched between two public holidays becomes a holiday (for example September 22, 2026)
Sources (primary information)
- Cabinet Office, “National Holidays” (list of holidays, substitute holidays and citizens' holidays) — official page, in Japanese
https://www8.cao.go.jp/chosei/shukujitsu/gaiyou.html (accessed July 26, 2026) - Act on National Holidays (Act No. 178 of 1948) — official text, in Japanese
https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC1000000178 (accessed July 26, 2026)
Assumptions and notes
- The supported range is 2026 and 2027. The Cabinet Office normally announces the following year's holidays around February, and they are added here once published.
- The New Year period (December 29 – January 3) and Obon are not public holidays. Government offices are nevertheless closed over the New Year period as an administrative holiday, and most companies follow the same pattern.
- Holidays can be changed by amendments to the law or by special legislation (in the past, dates were moved for the Olympic Games).
Frequently asked questions
Are city halls and banks open on public holidays?
No. Municipal offices and bank branches are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. ATMs and convenience-store certificate services may still be available.
Why do some holidays fall on a different date every year?
Coming-of-Age Day, Marine Day, Respect for the Aged Day and Sports Day are defined as “the Nth Monday” of their month, so they move each year to create a long weekend. Vernal Equinox Day and Autumnal Equinox Day are set from astronomical observation.
What happens if a holiday falls on a Sunday?
The nearest following weekday becomes a day off as a “Substitute Holiday” (usually the Monday). Substitute holidays are included in the list on this page.