There’s nothing more disappointing than flying all the way to Japan, navigating the trains, and hiking to the pin on your map,* only to discover that something you really want to see is CLOSED! Here’s what locals know about when things are open and when they’re not.
1
The 30-Minute Rule
Most places don’t allow anyone arriving less than 30 minutes before closing time to enter because they figure it’s impossible for you to enjoy the place in less than 30 minutes and be out by closing time. This means if a museum or garden (for example) is open until 5:00, the ticket windows and entry gates close at 4:30. Restaurants often refuse to seat you or take your order less than 30 minutes before closing time.
2
Stealth Public Holidays of Japan
Just like back home, Japan has many holidays when businesses and attractions are closed, but they might not be on your radar because they’re not the same as your home country!
Things that are closed on public holidays:
Government offices, business offices, post offices, banks, some businesses
Things that are not closed on public holidays:
Museums, gardens, shrines, temples, theme parks, most restaurants, most stores
Check here to see what public holidays fall during your trip:
New Year’s Day Jan 1
Coming-of-age-Day Second Monday in January
Foundation Day Feb 11
Emperor’s birthday, Feb 23
Vernal Equinox Day March 20 or 21
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GOLDEN WEEK**
Showa Day Apr 29
Constitution Day May 3
Greenery Day May 4
Children’s Day May 5
And depending on how the holidays fall, businesses may close for all of part of the days between Apr 29 and May 3 as well)
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Marine Day Third Monday of July
Mountain Day Aug 11
Respect for the Aged Day Third Monday of September
Autumnal Equinox Day Sep 23
Sports Day Second Monday of October
Culture Day Nov 3
Labor Thanksgiving Day Nov 23
3
Everything shuts at New Years for three days
Even though the official holiday is just one day (Jan 1), many attractions and businesses (including supermarkets, bars and restaurants) shut down from Jan 1-3. If you’re in Japan, plan accordingly!
Things that shut down Jan 1-3:
Gardens, museums, many stores (including grocery stores), many restaurants, government offices, business offices, post offices, banks,
Things that do not shut down Jan 1-3:
Shrines, temples, hotels and hotel restaurants, convenience stores
3
The day after a public holiday
Things that are closed on the day after a public holiday:
Museums
5
Regular closing days
This isn’t a universal rule—check the organization’s website to be sure—but certain types of businesses tend to take the same day off every week. Here’s the rule of thumb:
Museums are closed on: Mondays
Hair and nail salons are closed on: Tuesdays
*If you’re using Google maps, it’s tempting to rely on their quickie business hours feature to see if something is open or not. While this is generally reliable, some small businesses (shops, bars and restaurants especially) don’t inform Google Maps if they intend to close on a public holiday or not, and you could end up disappointed if you don’t check their website for more accurate closing information. It’s usually in the “announcements” section, and you may need to plug the entries into Google Translate to see what it says.
**Golden Week: The first week in May is an especially hard time to be traveling in Japan because nearly every Japanese person has this week off and not only is everything closed, they all travel at once, so trains and hotels are totally booked. Avoid if possible.
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And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 