Golden Week in Japan

Home /
Golden Week in Japan

Golden Week in Japan

This article comes a little late as the Golden week is almost in it’s end. What is the Golden Week?
The following introduction about golden week is contributed from japan-guide.com:
The Golden Week is a collection of four national holidays within seven days. In combination with well placed weekends, the Golden Week becomes one of Japan's three busiest holiday seasons, besides New Year and the Obon week.Trains, airports and sightseeing spots get very crowded during Golden Week, and accommodation in tourist areas can get booked out well in advance.
The national holidays making up the Golden Week are:
April 29
Showa Day (Showa no hi):
April 29 is the birthday of former Emperor Showa, who died in the year 1989. Until 2006, Greenery Day (see May 4) used to be celebrated on this day.
May 3
Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi):
On this day in 1947, the new postwar constitution was put into effect.
May 4
Greenery Day (Midori no hi):
Until 2006, Greenery Day used to be celebrated on April 29, the birthday of former Emperor Showa. The day is dedicated to the environment and nature, because the emperor loved plants and nature. Before being declared Greenery Day, May 4 used to be a national holiday due to a law, which declares a day, that falls between two national holidays, a national holiday.
May 5
Children's Day (Kodomo no hi):
The Boy's Festival (Tango no Sekku) is celebrated on this day. Families pray for the health and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life. The Girl's Festival is celebrated on March 3.

So the Golden Week last around 7 days including the weekend! Most office, business and factories were closed for the holiday. For the Golden Holidays, although it is not common to give a gift as other gifting days like Christmas or New Year, more people are willing to give gift for a business purpose nowadays, the popular gift are a food basket or a travel package which the recipient can used when they take the holiday travel. For more gift ideas, please visit the following link Send Gift to Japan, you may get an inspiration of what gift should be given for the Golden Week holiday. Wait… don’t buy now…, perhaps buy next year before the holiday starts…:)

Jimmy
2016.5.4