# Public holidays in Japan

National holidays under the Act on National Holidays. Is today a holiday, what is on this week, and when is the next day off — worked out for Asia/Tokyo time.

## Japan public holidays at a glance

Japan has 17 public holiday dates in 2026 plus 1 substitute day off: the first is New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and the last is Labor Thanksgiving Day on Monday 23 November. The same data for 2020–2030 is available as JSON from `/api/holidays?country=JP&year=2026`.

## About holidays in Japan

Japan has sixteen national holidays. When one falls on a Sunday, the next non-holiday becomes a substitute holiday, and a weekday sandwiched between two holidays becomes a holiday too — that is how Golden Week and some September weeks grow. The two equinox holidays are confirmed a year ahead, when the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan publishes the next year's calendar.

## All Japan public holidays in 2026

| Date | Holiday |
| --- | --- |
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day |
| Monday 12 January | Coming of Age Day |
| Wednesday 11 February | Foundation Day |
| Monday 23 February | Emperor's Birthday |
| Friday 20 March | Vernal Equinox Day |
| Wednesday 29 April | Showa Day |
| Sunday 3 May | Constitution Day |
| Monday 4 May | Greenery Day |
| Tuesday 5 May | Children's Day |
| Wednesday 6 May | Substitute Holiday (day off in lieu) |
| Monday 20 July | Marine Day |
| Tuesday 11 August | Mountain Day |
| Monday 21 September | Respect for the Aged Day |
| Tuesday 22 September | National Holiday |
| Wednesday 23 September | Autumnal Equinox Day |
| Monday 12 October | Sports Day |
| Tuesday 3 November | Culture Day |
| Monday 23 November | Labor Thanksgiving Day |

Full month-by-month calendars: [2026 calendar](https://whathappen.today/holidays/japan/2026/) · [2027 calendar](https://whathappen.today/holidays/japan/2027/).

## Sources

- [Cabinet Office — National holidays](https://www8.cao.go.jp/chosei/shukujitsu/gaiyou.html) — official list to confirm dates (checked 2026-10-10)
- [vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence)](https://github.com/vacanza/holidays) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-10)

## Questions and answers

How many public holidays does Japan have in 2026?

This list has 17 holiday dates in 2026, plus 1 substitute day off. It covers national holidays under the Act on National Holidays.

Which Japan holidays fall on a weekend in 2026?

Constitution Day (Sunday 3 May). Where the rules give a substitute day off, it is listed separately.

Which dates could still change?

None of the 2026 dates depend on a moon sighting, but governments can still add one-off holidays during the year.

Which time zone does “today” use on this page?

Asia/Tokyo, the country's time zone. The status box at the top is worked out in your browser from your device clock.

Where are the official dates published?

[Cabinet Office — National holidays](https://www8.cao.go.jp/chosei/shukujitsu/gaiyou.html). When this page and the official source disagree, the official source is right.

For reference only — governments can add, move or cancel holidays at short notice. Confirm with the official source: [Cabinet Office — National holidays](https://www8.cao.go.jp/chosei/shukujitsu/gaiyou.html). Data: the open-source `holidays` library (MIT), spot-checked against official 2026 calendars.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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Web page: https://whathappen.today/holidays/japan/