Japan Public Holidays 2027 and Busy Periods | New Year, Golden Week, Obon, 3-Day Weekends, Shinkansen Busy Seasons and All-Reserved Nozomi

Overview

Japan's public holidays (national holidays) are set by law, and every year the Cabinet Office publishes the dates of the following year's holidays. This article explains the 2027 holidays published by the Cabinet Office, the consecutive days off that affect travel planning, and the periods when JR's reserved-seat charges go up. The information is based on official guidance from the Cabinet Office, JR East, JR Central and JR West, and on Japanese law, checked on October 20, 2026.

• In 2027 there are 17 national holidays and substitute holidays in total. This includes Monday, March 22, a substitute holiday given because a national holiday falls on a Sunday.
• Over New Year, Japanese government offices are closed for 6 days, from Tuesday, December 29, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027.
• For Golden Week in 2027, there are 5 consecutive days off, from Saturday, May 1 to Wednesday, May 5. Thursday, April 29 is also a national holiday, but Friday, April 30 is not.
• Obon (mid-August) is not a national holiday. Even so, in JR's FY2026 calendar, the 2026 Obon period fell within the time when reserved-seat charges are higher. JR has not yet announced how the 2027 Obon period will be classified.
• On the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, Nozomi trains run with all seats reserved from Friday, December 25, 2026 to Tuesday, January 5, 2027. There are no non-reserved cars.

Itinerary

List of national holidays and substitute holidays in 2027

The Cabinet Office has published the following 17 national holidays and substitute holidays for 2027.

• Under the law, when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the nearest following day that is not a national holiday becomes a substitute holiday. In 2027, Vernal Equinox Day falls on Sunday, March 21, so the next day, Monday, March 22, is a substitute holiday.
• The dates of Vernal Equinox Day and Autumnal Equinox Day are not written in the law. Every February, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan announces the following year's dates in the Official Gazette. The 2027 dates are March 21 and September 23, as shown in the table above.

Consecutive days off in 2027

The periods of 3 or more consecutive days that are each a Saturday, Sunday, national holiday or substitute holiday are as follows. The New Year period is counted using the government office closure days (explained in “New Year closures of government offices and banks”).

• Golden Week is the name for the period from late April to early May when national holidays are concentrated. In 2027, Showa Day falls on Thursday, April 29, but Friday, April 30 is not a national holiday, so the consecutive days off are the 5 days starting Saturday, May 1.
• Autumnal Equinox Day on Thursday, September 23 is not connected to the 3-day weekend for Respect for the Aged Day. Tuesday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 22 in between are not national holidays.
• Obon is a period of Japanese observances for welcoming back the spirits of deceased family members, and many people take time off in mid-August to visit their hometowns or travel. Obon holidays are not national holidays, and the days off differ by company and shop. Mountain Day on Wednesday, August 11, 2027 is not connected to a Saturday or Sunday.

Booking

JR's “peak season” and “busy season”, when charges go up

JR changes the charge for reserved seats in Ordinary Cars on limited express trains and the Shinkansen depending on the time of year. The periods with higher charges are the “peak season” and the “busy season”, which JR expects to be crowded. There are 2 different sets of dates, depending on which lines you ride. The dates below are the December 2026 to March 2027 portion of the FY2026 calendar (April 2026 to March 2027) in JR East's guidance (information as of April 1, 2026).

When riding JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku or JR Kyushu lines such as the Tokaido Shinkansen, Sanyo Shinkansen and Kyushu Shinkansen, or when a trip covers 2 or more JR companies (this group does not include the Hokuriku Shinkansen or the Shirasagi and Thunderbird limited express trains):

When riding JR East lines such as the Tohoku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen, the Hokkaido Shinkansen, or the Hokuriku Shinkansen:

• As of October 20, 2026, JR has not yet officially announced the peak season and busy season dates from April 1, 2027 onward (the FY2027 calendar). For reference, in the FY2026 calendar, the peak season for JR East lines and the Hokuriku Shinkansen was from April 27 to May 6 for Golden Week, and from August 10 to 19 for Obon.
• Limited express trains on conventional lines that run only within JR Hokkaido have the same charge every day of the year, with no peak season or busy season.

Nozomi trains are all-reserved over New Year

JR Central and JR West have announced that Nozomi trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen will run with all seats reserved from Friday, December 25, 2026 to Tuesday, January 5, 2027.

How to buy reserved Shinkansen seats is explained in Shinkansen Tickets: How to Buy and Book | Online booking such as smartEX, ticket machines and ticket offices, reserved and non-reserved seats, and the days when all Nozomi seats are reserved.

Costs

How reserved-seat charges differ by season

According to JR East's guidance, the charge for reserved seats in Ordinary Cars on limited express trains and the Shinkansen (the reserved-seat limited express charge) changes as follows, based on the regular season charge.

• What changes is the charge for reserved seats in Ordinary Cars. The amounts in the table are added to or subtracted from the regular season charge for one adult riding one way.
• The off-peak season is a period when JR expects few people to travel. The off-peak season dates are listed in the same JR East guidance used in the section on the peak season and busy season.
• Limited express trains on conventional lines that run only within JR Kyushu have no off-peak season. The Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen has no off-peak season either.

Opening hours

New Year closures of government offices and banks

Japanese law sets the following closures over New Year.

• Under both laws, the closure runs every year from December 29 (December 31 for banks) to January 3 of the following year. The same dates apply over the 2027–2028 New Year as well.
• Banks are also closed on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and substitute holidays.
• Opening days over New Year for shops, restaurants, tourist facilities and museums are not set by law. They differ by facility, so check each official website before you go.

How to withdraw cash in Japan is explained in Do You Need Cash in Japan? | Where Cards Work, ATMs That Accept Overseas Cards, and Currency Exchange.

Good to know

• Holiday dates can change if the law changes. JR East's guidance also notes that some national holidays and substitute holidays may change due to amendments to the National Holidays Act and other laws.
• The Cabinet Office says it plans to publish the 2028 national holidays in February 2027.
• The “peak season” and “busy season” are JR's categories of periods for setting reserved-seat charges. They do not indicate how crowded a given day will actually be.
• The JR periods in this article are based on JR East's guidance (information as of April 1, 2026) and on the announcement by JR Central and JR West on October 2, 2026.