I’ve written about the pros and cons of travelling to Japan in all four of the seasons as well as what to do if you have accidentally booked your Japan holiday during Golden Week. But, in this blog post, I would like to give a rundown of Japanese school holiday timing in Japan if you are wanting to avoid the local crowds on top of international tourists.
Like any country in the world, some school holiday dates vary and can be different for some private, specialized or international school in Japan – but I’ve tried to cover times the majority of schools are on a school break .
JAPAN’S SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Summer school vacation in Japan
Normally begins July 20 or 21 and then ends between August 21-30.
* Note it is also Obon National Holidays mid August for 2-3 days so this time will also be busy with domestic tourists. Google “When are Obon holidays (insert year)?” to work that out too.
This is a very difficult time to visit Japan – mostly because Japanese summer is always more brutal than even those from hot countries expect. It can also be very busy at touristy spots as there are families on school break and high school students also exploring the major cities. I’ve written my suggestions on travelling during summer in Japan with kids here.
Not school holidays but there are some national holidays in between Summer and Winter school break in Japan.
These dates change each year but google the holiday and the year to work out when these fall and remember that, if they are next to a weekend, that weekend will also be busier than normal.
Autumn Equinox Day
Sports Day
Culture Day
Labour Thanksgiving Day
Winter school vacation in Japan
Winter holidays for students in Japan usually begins around Dec 26 and finishes up around January 6.
Important to note: Christmas Day is NOT a public holiday in Japan. If you are spending Christmas in Japan, I have written some tips on how to make the most of time in Japan during the Christmas season.
Also, please keep in mind that Hokkaido Winter Break is longer than the rest of Japan and can often go from December 22-January 18. The Hokkaido school term structure is different – mostly because of the weather.
The difference between these school holidays is that you actually won’t see students out and about during most of this school holiday season? The reason: New Years holidays in Japan are special family time. I speak more about it here but in Japan, most people travel back to their home towns so you won’t find as many students etc in these dates at places like Tokyo Disneyland (You can use crowd prediction calendars to see which days are most likely to be there least busy at Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea in Japan.)
Spring school vacation in Japan
This is not only the most popular season for international students but it’s also a busy time for domestic travel. Most schools in Japan break up around March 25-26 and return to school around April 5, 6 or 7. HOWEVER only a few weeks after returning to school comes Golden Week in Japan and this is usually the longest holiday period for most working Japanese people so bullet train stations, airports, restaurants and tourist sites are extremely busy at this time. Please be sure to google Golden Week + the year you are planning to travel – and don’t forget to add in the weekends at either side as extremely busy travel dates.
If you have accidentally booked a holiday in Japan during golden week, please don’t worry as you will be fine but I’ve given some tips on how to make the most of it here.
I get asked this question so often but NO-ONE can tell you exactly when in Spring you will see cherry blossoms. The best way to increase your chances are by a) staying as long as you can over spring b) keeping an eye on cherry blossom prediction /forecasting sites (usually published in February every year.)
If you’re at the beginning of planning your holiday in Japan, I recommend checking out my Japan family holiday planning advice here.
