Is today a national holiday in Japan?

Act on National Holidays, Golden Week Rules & Financial Rails

In Japan, statutory public holidays are codified under the Act on National Holidays (Act No. 178 of 1948), administered by the Cabinet Office of Japan. The statute establishes 16 official national holidays (kokumin no shukujitsu) per calendar year, ranging from New Year's Day (Ganjitsu) to Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinrō Kansha no Hi).

Substitute Holidays (Furikae Kyūjitsu) & Golden Week 2026

Under Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the Act on National Holidays, when an official national holiday falls on a Sunday, the immediately following day that is not already a national holiday becomes a statutory substitute holiday (振替休日, furikae kyūjitsu).

This statutory mechanism creates an extended holiday sequence during Golden Week 2026:

• Sunday, May 3, 2026: Constitution Memorial Day (Kenpō Kinenbi) falls on a Sunday.
• Monday, May 4, 2026: Greenery Day (Midori no Hi) is a statutory national holiday.
• Tuesday, May 5, 2026: Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi) is a statutory national holiday.
• Wednesday, May 6, 2026: Because Monday and Tuesday are already statutory holidays, the official substitute holiday for Constitution Memorial Day rolls to Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Combined with Shōwa Day on Wednesday, April 29, workers can construct an unbroken vacation period across early May with minimal paid leave. Use our 2026 PTO Maximizer to model optimal Golden Week leave bridge combinations.

Citizen's Holidays (The Sandwich Rule)

Under Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the Act on National Holidays, any standard working day sandwiched directly between two statutory national holidays automatically becomes an official holiday, designated as a Citizen's Holiday (国民の休日, kokumin no kyūjitsu). This rule occasionally produces autumn 'Silver Week' breaks when Respect for the Aged Day (third Monday in September) and the Autumnal Equinox Day (astronomically calculated) leave a single Tuesday between them.

Labor Standards Act & Private-Sector Holiday Rules

Under the Labor Standards Act (Act No. 49 of 1947), private employers are required to grant at least one weekly rest day (or four rest days across four weeks under Article 35). However, Japanese statutory labor law does not legally require private employers to grant paid days off on national holidays, nor does it mandate statutory holiday overtime rates for working on a public holiday unless that holiday coincides with the employee's mandatory statutory weekly rest day (hōtei kyūjitsu, which requires a minimum 35% premium under Article 37).

Whether employees receive paid national holidays off depends on individual company employment regulations (shūgyō kisoku) or collective bargaining agreements. Two major annual vacation seasons are widely observed by corporate custom rather than national statute:

• Obon (Mid-August): A Buddhist ancestral festival traditionally observed from August 13 to August 16. Obon is not an official statutory national holiday, but many corporate offices, manufacturing plants, and universities shut down completely. Mountain Day (August 11) is the only statutory holiday in August.
• Year-End and New Year (Nenmatsu Nenshi): Under the Act on Holidays of Administrative Organs (Act No. 91 of 1988), government institutions close from December 29 through January 3, a practice adopted by the vast majority of corporate employers.

Banking Act (Article 15), BOJ-NET & Zengin Clearing

Commercial banking hours are established under Article 15 of the Banking Act (Act No. 59 of 1981) and Article 5 of its Order for Enforcement. Legally designated bank holidays in Japan include Sundays, official national holidays (and substitute days), December 31, and January 1 through January 3.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) closes its head office and regional branches on statutory holidays and between December 31 and January 3, pausing wholesale RTGS clearing across the BOJ-NET network. Meanwhile, domestic retail bank transfers run over the Zengin More Time System, which operates 24/7/365 for peer-to-peer electronic funds transfers. However, over-the-counter teller services, mortgage loan closings, and batched corporate direct deposit clearing pause on bank holidays. Calculate delivery windows around Japanese clearing halts using our Working Days Calculator.

Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE / JPX Trading Calendar)

The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), operated by Japan Exchange Group (JPX), halts equity trading on all 16 statutory national holidays and official substitute holidays (including Wednesday, May 6, 2026). Furthermore, the TSE closes annually from December 31 through January 3 for the New Year holiday period. The exchange operates standard trading sessions on ordinary weekdays throughout Obon in mid-August.

Japan Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Japan, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Japan

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Japan should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: