Japan has 16 national public holidays, more than most countries. For global teams working with Japanese colleagues, understanding these holidays is critical. Miss Golden Week and you might spend an entire week wondering why nobody in Tokyo is responding to your emails.
This guide covers every Japanese public holiday in 2026, explains the unique substitute holiday system, and shows how to automate holiday blocking across your team's calendars.
All Japan Public Holidays in 2026
New Year's Day (Ganjitsu) is January 1. Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) is January 12 (second Monday). National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen no Hi) is February 11. Emperor's Birthday (Tennou Tanjyoubi) is February 23. Vernal Equinox Day (Shunbun no Hi) is March 20. Showa Day (Showa no Hi) is April 29. Constitution Memorial Day (Kenpo Kinenbi) is May 3. Greenery Day (Midori no Hi) is May 4. Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi) is May 5. Marine Day (Umi no Hi) is July 20 (third Monday). Mountain Day (Yama no Hi) is August 11. Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro no Hi) is September 21 (third Monday). Autumnal Equinox Day (Shubun no Hi) is September 23. Sports Day (Supoutsu no Hi) is October 12 (second Monday). Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) is November 3. Labour Thanksgiving Day (Kinro Kansha no Hi) is November 23.
Golden Week: Japan's Longest Holiday Period
Golden Week runs from late April to early May and is the biggest holiday cluster in Japan. In 2026, it includes Showa Day (April 29), Constitution Memorial Day (May 3), Greenery Day (May 4), and Children's Day (May 5). Many Japanese companies close entirely during this period, and employees often take the days between holidays off to create one continuous break.
If your team collaborates with Japanese partners, avoid scheduling any critical meetings, deadlines, or launches during Golden Week. Treat the entire period from April 29 through May 6 as effectively unavailable.
Silver Week and September Holidays
Silver Week occurs when Respect for the Aged Day and Autumnal Equinox Day fall close together, creating another extended holiday period. In 2026, Respect for the Aged Day is September 21 and Autumnal Equinox Day is September 23, creating a mini-break. Under Japan's substitute holiday law, if a day falls between two holidays, it becomes a holiday too, making September 22 a bridging holiday.
Japan's Substitute Holiday System (Furikae Kyujitsu)
Japan has a unique rule: when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a substitute holiday (furikae kyujitsu). This means the actual day off shifts, and any calendar system needs to account for this automatically. Manual tracking of these substitutions is error-prone.
Automate Japanese Holiday Calendar Management
Autolidays handles all of Japan's complex holiday rules automatically, including substitute holidays and Golden Week blocking. Set up your Japanese team members once, and every holiday is reflected in their Google Calendar with no manual intervention.
Browse all Japanese holidays on our holidays page and set up automated calendar blocking for your team today.