Golden Week is a week-long national holiday in Japan that is typically celebrated from April 29th to May 5th every year. This holiday was created in 1948 to celebrate four public holidays that occur during this week. Some people enjoy up to 9 straight holidays, combining weekends, holidays, and paid holidays!
Showa No Hi (Showa Day)
Showa Day is the first holiday of Golden Week on April 29. Emperor Showa reigned from 1926 to 1989 as the 124th Emperor of Japan during some of the most complex and turbulent periods in Japan's history. The name Showa is meant to mean “shining peace” or “enlightened peace” and is used to describe the entire period of history under the Emperor’s reign.Showa Day honors the birthday of Emperor Hirohito, the reigning Emperor before, during, and after World War II .
Kenpo Kinenbi (Constitution Day)
It takes place on May 3 in celebration of the enactment of 1947. It is a national holiday and the second day in the Golden Week of Japan. The new postwar constitution went into force on this date at that time. It took a period of two years for the new constitution to be finalized and ratified. Finally, on May 3, 1945, the new constitution replaced the older one, which was known as the Meiji Constitution. Many people also visit the constitution building to take pictures and experience the history. This is the only day when the building and the constitution documents are open to the public.
Midori No Hi (Green Day)
It was originally established in 1989 and held annually on April 29 to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Showa (also known as Emperor Hirohito). After the ascension of Emperor Akihito in 1989, the holiday was renamed “Greenery Day” in remembrance of Emperor Showa’s love of plants. In 2007, the date was changed to May 4, which was initially a “national day of rest,”. Golden Week is also typically around when the first crop of green tea is harvested. You can try the best green tea and celebrate nature.
Kodomo No Hi (Children’s Day)
It is celebrated every year on May 5. On this national holiday, children are respected and honored for their individual strengths and happiness is wished upon them. Children's Day was originally known as Tango no Sekku (literally nearing the seventh sign of the chinese zodiac, but usually translated as Boys Day)and was a celebration for boys. The holiday was officially changed to celebrate the health and growth of both girls and boys in 1948.
Fun Things to Enjoy during the Golden Week
We will share with you the events that will be held during the Golden Week and how you can spend your holiday,
Craft Gyoza Festival 2023
One of our favorite gourmet events is the "Craft Gyoza Fest 2023," which will be held during Golden Week in Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima, specializing in gyoza (dumplings). A wide variety of gyoza will be served at the event, including not only the standard grilled gyoza, but also sui-gyoza, deep-fried gyoza, steamed gyoza, and even xiaolongbao.
Date: April 28 (Fri.) - May 7 (Sun.), 2023,
Time: 10:00 - 20:00 (weekdays from 11:00)
Venue: Komazawa Olympic Park Central Square (Komazawa Park, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo)
Meat Fest 2023 The Carnival TOKYO
One of Japan's largest and most popular gourmet festivals, "Meat Fest," which has attracted a total of over 7.2 million visitors, will be held during Golden Week in 2023. The event will feature a variety of brand-name beef dishes using each of the five national beef brands: Saga beef, Sendai beef, Kobe beef, Yamagata beef, and Iwate Minami beef.
Date: April 28 (Fri) - May 7 (Sun), 2023
Venue: Odaiba Special Site, Odaiba Aomi Area, Lot P (1-1-16 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo)
Home theater with family and friends
During the Golden Week, many businesses and schools will be closed during this time. It’s expected trains and airports will be crowded. Golden week is one of the busiest travel periods in Japan. There must be many people who do not like crowds. For those people, this is a great chance to watch all the movies you were curious about or the ones you missed because you were too busy. Let's enjoy movies and dramas through video-on-demand (VOD) services!