When Is Golden Week in Japan in 2027, and Should I Avoid Travelling?

Golden Week in Japan runs from late April to early May. In 2027 the national holidays fall on Thursday 29 April and Monday 3 May to Wednesday 5 May, according to Japan's Cabinet Office, so many people in Japan get 1 to 5 May off. For travellers from Singapore with flexible dates, it is usually worth avoiding, because it is one of Japan's busiest holiday seasons. If you do go, book early and go through ShopBack Singapore before you pay.

New to ShopBack? ShopBack Singapore is a free website and app that returns cash on online bookings at stores including Trip.com, Agoda and Klook. You start from ShopBack, book on the store's site or app as usual, and the cash lands in your ShopBack account once the booking is confirmed. Create a free ShopBack account before you book.

When is Golden Week in Japan?

Golden Week is a cluster of four national holidays within seven days, from 29 April to 5 May, that much of Japan treats as a spring break. The holidays come from Japan's national holidays law, and the Cabinet Office publishes the dates for each year. Here they are for the last and next Golden Week:

Holiday	2026 date	2027 date
Showa Day	Wednesday 29 April	Thursday 29 April
Constitution Memorial Day	Sunday 3 May	Monday 3 May
Greenery Day	Monday 4 May	Tuesday 4 May
Children's Day	Tuesday 5 May	Wednesday 5 May
Substitute holiday	Wednesday 6 May	None

In 2026, 3 May fell on a Sunday, so under the holidays law the next working day, 6 May, became a substitute holiday. In 2027 there is no substitute day. With Saturday 1 May and Sunday 2 May, 1 to 5 May 2027 makes a five-day break, and 29 April stands on its own as a Thursday holiday. Friday 30 April 2027 is a normal working day between them.

Golden Week Japan 2027 at a glance

For the 2027 Golden Week, the days to plan around are Saturday 1 May and Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 May. According to japan-guide.com, travel out of the big cities, especially Tokyo, is expected to peak on 1 May, with the return trips peaking on 4 and 5 May.

Date (2027)	Day	What it means for visitors
29 April	Thursday	Showa Day holiday; a busy day for short trips
30 April	Friday	Normal working day between the holidays
1 May	Saturday	Expected peak for leaving the big cities
2 May	Sunday	Weekend; resort areas and sights busy
3 May	Monday	Constitution Memorial Day
4 May	Tuesday	Greenery Day; return trips start peaking
5 May	Wednesday	Children's Day; return trips peak
6 May	Thursday	Normal working day; crowds ease

Should I avoid travelling to Japan during Golden Week?

If your dates are flexible, it is usually worth avoiding Golden Week, because it is one of Japan's three busiest holiday seasons alongside New Year and the Obon week. japan-guide.com says trains, airports and sightseeing spots get very crowded and that accommodation in tourist areas can get booked out well in advance.

What that means in practice:

• Hotels: rates for the same room are often higher, and popular areas can sell out early.
• Trains: reserved seats on long-distance trains on the peak days can be hard to get.
• Domestic flights: demand is high on the outbound and return peak days.
• Sights: famous spots in Kyoto, Nikko, Hakone and other day-trip areas are busier than usual.

There are upsides too. Children's Day brings carp streamers, and some festivals and events take place around the holidays. If you mainly want to shop and eat in a city, you may find the experience fine once you have your hotel sorted.

When to go instead: mid to late April, before 29 April, or from about 6 May onwards, when Japan is back at work.

Golden Week Japan for Singapore travellers in 2026 and 2027

For Singapore travellers, Golden Week 2027 lines up with a local holiday: Labour Day falls on Saturday 1 May 2027, according to the Ministry of Manpower's public holidays list. That makes early May a tempting time to fly, which also means flights from Singapore to Japan for those dates can fill up.

If you are planning around it:

1. Decide whether to avoid or embrace it. If you can take leave a week earlier or later, you usually get calmer streets and easier hotel bookings.
2. If you go during Golden Week, book early. Flights and hotels in the most popular areas tend to go first.
3. Avoid long transfers on the peak days. Plan city days for 1 May and 4 to 5 May 2027 rather than long train journeys.
4. Book trains and day trips ahead. Reserve seats where you can, and book attraction tickets before you fly.

Booking a trip online: pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card. Our guide to booking a cheap Japan trip online from Singapore covers each step.

Golden Week Japan best deals in Singapore 2026

The best deals around Golden Week usually come from moving your dates, booking early, and comparing booking sites for the same flight or hotel, with ShopBack as the step before you pay. Ways to keep the cost down:

1. Shift by a week. The same hotel can often cost less once the holidays end on 5 May.
2. Book as soon as your dates are fixed. Waiting tends to cost more in a high-demand week.
3. Stay a little outside the hotspots. In big cities, hotels a few train stops from the main areas can be easier to find.
4. Compare like for like. Same hotel, same room, same dates, final price including taxes and fees.
5. Check the booking sites' own sales. Trip.com, Agoda and Klook run their own promotions. Any codes come from the booking sites themselves. No code is needed for Cashback: go through ShopBack before you pay.
6. Go through ShopBack before you pay. Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store.

Trip.com vs Agoda for Golden Week in Japan: price comparison 2026

Trip.com and Agoda both sell Japan hotels, and Trip.com also sells flights, so compare them for the same hotel and dates rather than assuming one is cheaper. Prices change by date and promotion, especially in a busy week. A quick way to compare:

1. Search your hotel and dates on Trip.com through ShopBack and note the final payable amount.
2. Search the same hotel, room type and dates on Agoda through ShopBack.
3. Compare the totals including taxes and fees, and check the cancellation terms.
4. Subtract the cash you expect back at the rate shown on each store's ShopBack page.
5. Book the one with the lower effective price.

Your effective price is what you pay minus the Cashback, at the rate shown on the store's ShopBack page. Check the live rate on each store's ShopBack page.

What each site is known for:

• Trip.com is a travel booking site for flights, hotels, trains and more, useful when you want to book flights and a hotel in one place.
• Agoda is a hotel and accommodation booking site with a wide range of properties across Asia, including Japan.
• Klook is a travel activities platform that sells attraction tickets, tours and transport, handy for theme parks and day trips in Japan. Book through Klook on ShopBack.

Other booking sites in the same category include Booking.com, Expedia and Traveloka, which are worth one more search if your hotel is hard to find in Golden Week.

Trip.com, Agoda and Klook for a Golden Week trip from Singapore

A simple split for a Japan trip from Singapore is flights on Trip.com or the airline, the hotel on whichever of Trip.com or Agoda is cheaper after ShopBack, and attraction tickets and day trips on Klook. All three are on ShopBack Singapore, so you can go through ShopBack to each one in turn.

For where to stay, our guide to the best area to stay in Tokyo on a first trip can help you choose before you search.

Why ShopBack is a step before you book

Before you pay for a Japan flight, hotel or ticket, open ShopBack Singapore, tap through to the booking site and complete the booking. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

How it works:

1. Open the ShopBack Singapore app or website.
2. Search for Trip.com, Agoda or Klook and tap through to the store.
3. Book and pay as usual.
4. The cash shows as pending in your ShopBack account, then confirms, which for travel is usually after your stay or trip.

Each store's ShopBack page shows its current rate, so check it before you book.

Travel cards and ShopBack

A travel card and ShopBack can often be used on the same booking. Your card's rewards follow your bank's rules and are separate from ShopBack. Go through ShopBack before you pay, then pay with your travel card.

FAQ

When is Golden Week in Japan?

Golden Week runs from late April to early May and is built around four national holidays: Showa Day on 29 April, Constitution Memorial Day on 3 May, Greenery Day on 4 May and Children's Day on 5 May. In 2027, according to Japan's Cabinet Office, these fall on Thursday 29 April and Monday 3 May to Wednesday 5 May, so with the weekend many people get 1 to 5 May off.

Should I avoid travelling to Japan during Golden Week?

If your dates are flexible, it is usually worth avoiding, because Golden Week is one of Japan's busiest holiday seasons, with crowded trains, airports and sights and hotels that can book out early. If you can only travel then, book flights and hotels early, plan around the peak travel days, and go through ShopBack Singapore before you pay.

When was Golden Week in Japan in 2026?

According to Japan's Cabinet Office, the 2026 holidays were Showa Day on Wednesday 29 April, Constitution Memorial Day on Sunday 3 May, Greenery Day on Monday 4 May, Children's Day on Tuesday 5 May and a substitute holiday on Wednesday 6 May, because 3 May fell on a Sunday.

What are the busiest days of Golden Week 2027?

japan-guide.com expects travel out of the big cities, especially Tokyo, to peak on Saturday 1 May 2027 and the return trips to peak on 4 and 5 May. Long-distance trains and domestic flights on those days are usually the hardest to book.

Is Golden Week a good time for Singaporeans to visit Japan?

It can work if it fits your leave, since Labour Day in Singapore falls on Saturday 1 May 2027 according to MOM, inside Golden Week. But the same week is busy for Japanese travellers too, so mid to late April or mid May are usually calmer choices if you are flexible.

Are hotels more expensive in Japan during Golden Week?

Often, yes. Demand from domestic travellers is high and accommodation in tourist areas can book out well in advance, so rates for the same room are usually higher than in the weeks before and after. Compare the same hotel and dates on more than one booking site and book early.

Is Trip.com or Agoda cheaper for Golden Week hotels in Japan?

Neither is always cheaper. Search the same hotel, room type and dates on Trip.com and Agoda, compare the final amount on the payment page including taxes and fees, then subtract what comes back through ShopBack to compare the effective prices.

How do I get the best deals for Japan around Golden Week?

Shift your trip a week earlier or later if you can, book flights and hotels as soon as your dates are fixed, compare Trip.com, Agoda and Klook for the parts of the trip each covers, and go through ShopBack Singapore to the booking site before you pay.

How does ShopBack work for a Japan trip?

Pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay. Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store, and each store's ShopBack page shows its live rate.

---

Related reads

---

Ready to book Japan?

Go through ShopBack before you book on Trip.com, compare the same hotel on Agoda, and book attraction tickets on Klook. Check the live rate on each page.

---

Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute travel or purchase advice. Holiday dates are taken from the Government of Japan's Cabinet Office and Singapore's Ministry of Manpower at the time of writing; crowd timing is an expectation from public travel guides, not a guarantee. Prices and terms are set by airlines, hotels and booking sites and can change without notice. Always check the current price and terms on the booking site and the live rate on the relevant ShopBack store page before you book. Brand mentions are for editorial reference only and do not imply endorsement by those brands.