If you are Planning a trip to Japan in 2025 our Japan Calendar showing all the 2025 Japan Holidays and busy travel periods has essential information for you!
Japan has a lot of public and observed holidays compared to other countries, but in reality tourists visiting Japan do not need to worry too much about them as most facilities such as shops and restaurants, tourist attractions and public transport will be operating in the areas that they are likely to be visiting. The exceptions are End of Year / New Year, Golden Week and Obon which we have provided more information below and we have also have some travel advice of travelling during Japan holidays
The TS Japan Rail 2025 (令和7) Calendar, shows all the holidays and busy travel times.
(click to enlarge or download a PDF version using the button below)
The Big Holidays in Japan
As mentioned previously there are three big holidays in Japan where all forms of transport will be crowded. here are the things you need to look out for if travelling at these times:
Obon – Mid August
Beware, Obon is a Buddhist religious holiday that is widely observed in Japan although not a public holiday (so will not appear on many calendars). The dates are variable according to region, but in general most people observe it between 13th~15th August. Despite not being a public holiday, many businesses close down or at least slow down for Obon, and often the week surrounding Obon. Even for those whose work places do not close down, many people take their summer holiday at this time to visit family or travel to tourist places.
There is also a public holiday not related to Obon on 11th August (Mountain Day) so in 2025 the busy travel period is likely to be 9th~17th August
In the areas that foreign tourists are likely to visit, most places should be open, including museums and publicly operated facilities and all tourist attractions. Most shops and restaurants except in very local areas will be open. The big cities may be quieter.
August as a whole, but particularly around Obon, there are many local festivals, (most of which are actually religious in nature). There are also many firework displays, which in Japan are usually quite spectacular.
- End of Year / New Year, Golden Week & Obon do I need to book seats on Shinkansen & Limited Express Trains?
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Our advice is Yes. Although many extra trains are run during these periods, they will be crowded and there is a risk that you will need to stand for several hours. If you cannot reserve a seat, then you are more likely to get an unreserved seat late afternoon / evening and on the slower trains.
Since 2024 During the above holidays Nozomi services on the Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo~Nagoya~Kyoto~Osaka) and Sanyo Shinkansen (Osaka~Okayama~Hiroshima~Fukuoka) are all reserved seat trains.
Many JR East Shinkansen and Limited Express trains are reserved seat only at all times
- What about other holidays?
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Those stand alone public holidays that fall on a Monday so making a three day weekend, it is advisable if you are travelling longer distances to reserve seats particularly if you are travelling out of a big city on Saturday morning and returning Monday afternoon / evening.
- Do I need to book in advance or can I book on the day?
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For the three big holidays, we advise booking in advance (you can reserve seats up to 1 month (from 10am JST) prior to travel, including on line. For other, particularly 3 day weekends, it is preferable to book at least a few days in advance to ensure you can get a seat. If you do not book then there is a risk that cannot travel on your desired train.
It should be noted that nowadays there are many trains where you need to have a reserved seat at all times, and in the case of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, during the big three holidays all Nozomi and Mizuho trains (the fastest services) become all reserved trains.
- Do extra trains operate?
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Yes, the railway companies often run extra trains during busy holidays. These will be scheduled and seats can be booked in the normal way. Please note however that as train time tables are published monthly, extra trains may not appear on apps like Google Maps, Japan Transit, Japan Travel etc, if you are looking months ahead.
- Do local train and those in big cities operate normally on holidays?
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They will normally operate a Sunday / holiday schedule, but most foreign tourists will probably not notice a difference as day time frequencies are usually about the same as a weekday. It should be noted though that on some lines, particularly those running longer distances the times could be different from a weekday.
- Is it more expensive to travel during public holidays?
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Yes, hotel rates are generally higher and rail companies will normally not have any discounted fares during holidays (so you may notice some fares are a few hundred yen higher than at other times), particularly the three big holidays mentioned above and on long weekends.
- Is it better to travel road or fly rather than by rail during the holidays?
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No, Roads get congested potentially adding hours to your journey time and airlines like the rail companies, despite putting on extra services, seats get sold out, particularly on the big holidays but also on the three day weekends.
- Need more advice?
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Using TS Japan Rail’s Itinerary or Travel Planning Service we will provide you with all advice you need about travelling during holidays (and at other times)
Also for more advice on planning your trip to Japan our Frequently Asked Questions also has useful information.
Whether you want to See Japan by Rail or Explore Japan’s Railways, TS Japan Rail can help you plan your trip with ideas, designing travel itineraries, assisting with bookings and more.
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