Holidays in Japan 2026

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026 · Holiday data: September 10, 2026

Japan's 2026 table carries 17 public holiday entries: 15 of the 16 statutory kokumin no shukujitsu, a furikae kyujitsu on 6 May standing in for Constitution Memorial Day, which falls on Sunday 3 May, and a Citizens' Holiday on 22 September. 17 fall on a weekday and 0 land on a weekend, leaving 244 eigyobi across the year. Both Golden Week and Silver Week produce extended breaks because of the substitute and Citizens' Holiday rules.

2026 kokumin no shukujitsu calendar

Date	Day	Holiday	Notes
Jan 1	Thursday	New Year's Day	Ganjitsu on a Thursday. 2 January, a Friday, is not a national holiday and counts as a working day here, although banks and the JPX markets are closed on it.
Jan 12	Monday	Coming of Age Day	Seijin no Hi (Coming of Age Day) on the second Monday of January, the day Article 2 of the Act gives it.
Feb 11	Wednesday	National Foundation Day	Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (National Foundation Day): Article 2 leaves the date to a Cabinet Order, which sets 11 February.
Feb 23	Monday	Emperor's Birthday	Tenno Tanjobi, the Emperor's birthday, which Article 2 fixes on 23 February; a Monday this year, so it makes a three-day weekend.
Mar 20	Friday	Vernal Equinox Day	Shunbun no Hi (Vernal Equinox Day): the Act names the equinox rather than a date, and the National Astronomical Observatory publishes the next year's date in the Official Gazette each February.
Apr 29	Wednesday	Showa Day	Showa no Hi on a Wednesday, with Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May working days after it.
May 4	Monday	Greenery Day	Midori no Hi (Greenery Day), fixed on 4 May by Article 2.
May 5	Tuesday	Children's Day	Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day), fixed on 5 May.
May 6	Wednesday	Constitution Memorial Day (observed)	Furikae kyujitsu for Constitution Memorial Day, since 3 May lands on a Sunday and 4 to 5 May are also holidays.
Jul 20	Monday	Marine Day	Umi no Hi (Marine Day) on the third Monday of July, as Article 2 sets it.
Aug 11	Tuesday	Mountain Day	Yama no Hi (Mountain Day), fixed on 11 August; a Tuesday this year.
Sep 21	Monday	Respect for the Aged Day	Keiro no Hi (Respect for the Aged Day) on the third Monday of September.
Sep 22	Tuesday	Citizens' Holiday	Kokumin no Kyujitsu (Citizens' Holiday) under Article 3(3): a day that is not itself a national holiday, with one on each side, becomes a holiday.
Sep 23	Wednesday	Autumnal Equinox Day	Shubun no Hi (Autumnal Equinox Day), whose date the National Astronomical Observatory published in the Official Gazette the February before.
Oct 12	Monday	Sports Day	Sports no Hi on the second Monday of October.
Nov 3	Tuesday	Culture Day	Bunka no Hi (Culture Day), fixed on 3 November; Article 2 gives its purpose as loving freedom and peace and promoting culture.
Nov 23	Monday	Labor Thanksgiving Day	Kinrokansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day), the year's last national holiday.

2026 year summary

Total days

365

Weekend days

104

Holidays on weekdays

Eigyobi (working days)

244

The eigyobi total counts the national holidays and the substitute and Citizens' Holidays that follow from them. Article 5 of the Order for Enforcement of the Banking Act also makes 31 December to 3 January bank holidays; add 31 December, 2 January and 3 January under Advanced options if your deadline follows the bank calendar.

Sources for these rules

国民の祝日に関する法律 (昭和23年法律第178号) 第2条の16日、第3条第2項の振替休日、第3条第3項の国民の休日。みどりの日は5月4日 (内閣府 (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan))
銀行法施行令 (昭和57年政令第40号) 第5条: 銀行の休日は、国民の祝日に関する法律に規定する休日、十二月三十一日から翌年の一月三日までの日、及び土曜日 (e-Gov 法令検索 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications))

Checked October 13, 2026. All sources

Golden Week and Silver Week 2026

Golden Week 2026 runs from Showa Day on Wednesday 29 April to the substitute holiday on Wednesday 6 May, but not continuously: Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May are working days. The unbroken block is Saturday 2 to Wednesday 6 May, five days, because Constitution Memorial Day falls on Sunday 3 May and its substitute holiday moves to 6 May, the first day after it that is not itself a holiday.

Silver Week 2026 produces a five-day break from Saturday 19 September through Wednesday 23 September because Tuesday 22 September automatically becomes a Citizens' Holiday under the sandwiched-weekday rule. JPX's 2026 list of market holidays marks 22 September as a holiday under Article 3(3) of the Act, so the exchanges are closed for the whole block as well.

Banks and markets at the turn of 2026

The bank and exchange calendars close more days than the national list. Article 5 of the Banking Act Enforcement Order makes 31 December to 3 January bank holidays, and JPX closes its markets on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and the dates it lists: for 2026, Friday 2 January, Saturday 3 January and Thursday 31 December. Two of those, 2 January and 31 December, are weekdays that this calculator counts as working days. Add both under Advanced options when a deadline follows the bank or exchange calendar.

Where the 2026 dates come from

The Act on National Holidays (Act No. 178 of 1948) names sixteen days in Article 2 and adds two kinds of holiday in Article 3: the substitute day after a holiday that falls on a Sunday, and the day between two holidays. The two equinox days are not dates in the Act; the Cabinet Office explains that the National Astronomical Observatory announces them in the Official Gazette every February for the following year, which put them on Friday 20 March and Wednesday 23 September for 2026. The Cabinet Office's own table for 2026 lists the same dates as this page, including the substitute day on 6 May and the holiday on 22 September.

← Japan Business Day Calculator Holidays in Japan 2027 →Working Days in 2026 →

Sources and verification

Official source: 内閣府 (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan) (cao.go.jp) (opens in a new tab)

Cross-checked against this source on September 10, 2026.

See all official sources →

Sources for these rules

国民の祝日に関する法律（昭和23年法律第178号）第2条・第3条：16の国民の祝日、第3条第2項の振替休日、第3条第3項の国民の休日 (e-Gov 法令検索 (Digital Agency))
建国記念の日となる日を定める政令（昭和41年政令第376号）：二月十一日とする (e-Gov 法令検索 (Digital Agency))
国民の祝日について: 令和8年（2026年）及び令和9年（2027年）の国民の祝日・休日、祝日法第3条第2項及び第3項による休日、国立天文台が毎年2月に翌年の春分の日・秋分の日を官報で公表 (内閣府 (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan))
銀行法施行令 (昭和57年政令第40号) 第5条: 銀行の休日は、国民の祝日に関する法律に規定する休日、十二月三十一日から翌年の一月三日までの日、及び土曜日 (e-Gov 法令検索 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications))
Market Holidays 2026 and 2027: JPX markets are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and the dates listed (1 to 3 January and 31 December each year) (Japan Exchange Group (JPX))

Checked October 9, 2026. All sources

Holidays in Japan 2026 - FAQ

How many public holidays does Japan have in 2026?

Japan's 2026 table carries 17 public holiday entries: 15 of the 16 statutory kokumin no shukujitsu, plus a furikae kyujitsu (substitute) on Wednesday 6 May for Constitution Memorial Day, which falls on Sunday 3 May and so appears only through its substitute, plus a Kokumin no Kyujitsu (Citizens' Holiday) on Tuesday 22 September because that day sits between Respect for the Aged Day on Monday 21 September and Autumnal Equinox Day on Wednesday 23 September.

How does Golden Week play out in 2026?

Golden Week 2026 has two parts. Showa Day on Wednesday 29 April stands alone, with working days on Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May after it. The main block then runs five days, Saturday 2 to Wednesday 6 May: Constitution Memorial Day on Sunday 3 May, Greenery Day and Children's Day on 4 and 5 May, and a furikae kyujitsu on Wednesday 6 May because 3 May is a Sunday.

What is the Silver Week pattern in September 2026?

Silver Week is the September equivalent of Golden Week, named after the cluster of Respect for the Aged Day, Autumnal Equinox Day, and any Citizens' Holiday that connects them. In 2026, Respect for the Aged Day lands on Monday 21 September and Autumnal Equinox Day on Wednesday 23 September, so Tuesday 22 September automatically becomes a Citizens' Holiday. The result is a five-day stretch from Saturday 19 September through Wednesday 23 September.