Golden Week (Japan)

This phrase also refers to Golden Week (China)

, also known as or , is a Japanese term applied to the period containing the following public holidays:

April 29
- , until 2006
- , from 2007
May 3
May 4
- , until 2006
- (from 2007)
May 5
- , also known as

Note that May Day, also known as (on May 1) is not a public holiday, but is nevertheless often granted as a holiday by many companies. When a public holiday lands on a Sunday, the next day that is not already a holiday becomes a holiday for that year.

History

The term was coined by movie theater operators after a new law in 1948 created the consecutive holidays, and thus increased attendance. At the time, April 29 was a national holiday celebrating the birth of Emperor Showa. Upon his death in 1989, the day was renamed as "Greenery Day" in order to retain Golden Week.

In 2007, Greenery Day will move to May 4, and April 29 will be renamed Showa Day.

Current practice

Many Japanese take paid time off on the intervening work days, 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. Even some foreign destinations (such as mainland Asian Countries, Guam, Saipan, Hawaii, and cities on the U.S. west coast such as Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco) are affected during this season by large numbers of Japanese tourists.

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History

Current practice

See also