Golden Week: A Time for Travel and Rest
While Japan is often associated in the West with its rich history and unique traditions, some also think of the country, especially its capital of Tokyo, as a bustling urban sprawl, a machine in constant, grinding motion. If that is the case, Golden Week, also known as Ogon Shukan (黄金週間), is a time when the country takes a collective deep breath. Set between the end of April and the beginning of May, Golden Week is a cluster of four national holidays that see companies, government offices, and schools alike closed for an extended period of time. As a result, this week corresponds with a remarkable spike in domestic tourism throughout Japan as workers and families throughout the country take the opportunity to travel.
Golden Week draws its name from “golden time,” a term used in Japanese media to denote the hours that draw the largest audiences for television and radio programs, commonly known as “prime time” in the West. Shortly after the passage of the National Holiday Laws in 1948, movie theaters quickly took note of the increased ticket sales corresponding with the cluster of newly-established spring holidays. When the same phenomenon was observed across a wide swath of leisure-based industries, Golden Week gained cultural recognition as a time for leisure, travel, and unique cultural festivals.
While the structure of the week has changed since its establishment, the four holidays that currently comprise Golden Week are Showa Day on April 29th, placed on the birthday of the Showa Emperor; Constitution Memorial Day on May 3rd, celebrating the establishment of Japan’s modern constitution; Greenery Day on May 4th, honoring the burst of springtime nature throughout the country; and Children’s Day on May 5th, a celebration of children rooted in ancient times, marked by distinct koi-fish banners that litter Japan’s skylines. Falling during a time of warm, mild weather between the wilting of early-April cherry blossoms and the mid-June rainy season, Golden Week sees countless festivals rooted in Japan’s rich history and culture.
Meiji Shrine Spring Grand Festival
Japan is known for its rich spiritualism embodied in the Shinto shrines that scatter across even its most urban areas, and Meiji Jingu, also known as Meiji Grand Shrine, exemplifies this. The Meiji Shrine Spring Grand Festival, held from May 2nd to 3rd, invites visitors to the lush, quiet forest of its shrine grounds tucked within the bustling Harajuku district for a two-day celebration featuring an incredible showcase of Japan's traditional performing arts. From performances of the deeply historical noh, the first type of theater to emerge in Japan, to the distinctive sound of bugaku, traditional Japanese court music, this shrine and its festival together stand as a pillar of calm in the bustle of urban life, carrying on the legacy of Japan’s most unique and precious traditions.
Hamamatsu Kite Festival
Just a two-hour journey outside of central Tokyo will bring visitors to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture, home of the Hamamatsu Kite Festival. Held from May 3rd to 5th, this festival is born from a 16th-century legend, in which a local lord set aloft a kite to celebrate the birth of his first son. Over four hundred years later, the citizens of Hamamatsu carry on this precious tradition to this day, flying enormous kites in honor of Children’s Day. Hundreds of kites cloud the skies during this three-day festival, scattering vibrant bursts of color across the beautiful blue of May skies.
Hirosaki Park Cherry Blossom Festival
While the blushing pink of cherry blossom petals scatter and fade in much of Japan before Golden Week begins, those willing to venture beyond the oft-traveled circuit of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka will be richly rewarded. Hirosaki, located at the northernmost tip of the main island of Honshu, sees cherry blossoms bloom through the beginning of May, with its annual festival stretching to the end of Golden Week. Hirosaki Castle Park boasts over two thousand cherry blossom trees and is famous for its unique variety of weeping cherry blossoms, which bloom in tightly-clustered bunches, lush and thick enough to pull their branches down with their weight. The historical Hirosaki Castle stands in the center of the park, stark white against the sea of pink petals and the expanse of the blue sky, capturing a stunning, distinctly Japanese landscape.
A Point of Caution
While Golden Week often sees mild temperatures and beautiful, sunny skies, this period is also known for large crowds. Though many Tokyoites and Osakans flood from major urban centers to heavily-touristed locations throughout the holiday, many also visit popular spots in their own neighborhoods, causing crowding on both the shinkansen and local trains. This may be a chance to experience something more exclusive, such as a class inclined towards your interests, or explore off the beaten path, searching your neighborhood for hidden shrines, interesting shops, or other simpler pleasures. If one’s goal is to see major touristed areas, it may be best to take the opportunity to meet a friend, or plan a visit for the week before or after the major holiday to avoid the worst of the crowds.