Japan's national holidays are set by the Act on National Holidays of 1948. There are 16: New Year's Day; Coming of Age Day in January; National Foundation Day and the Emperor's Birthday in February; the spring and autumn equinoxes; Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day around Golden Week; Marine Day in July; Mountain Day in August; Respect for the Aged Day in September; Sports Day in October; and Culture Day and Labour Thanksgiving Day in November. Several fall on Mondays under the Happy Monday system, which creates long weekends.
Two rules add days. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the next weekday that is not itself a holiday becomes a substitute holiday. A single day sandwiched between two holidays also becomes a holiday, which is why 4 May was a day off before it was named Greenery Day.
What the Act does not do is give employees a right to the day off. That depends on the employer's work rules. Most offices close on national holidays, but retail, hospitality, healthcare and many manufacturers work through them. Work on a national holiday is ordinary work, paid as the work rules say, unless it is also the statutory day off.
What it means for a foreign employer
- Put the holidays in the work rules. If you intend to close, say so. If you intend to open, say how holiday work is paid.
- Global calendars miss them. Regional deadlines, board meetings and global launches often land on a Japanese holiday. Check the calendar before you set a date.
- The holidays explain low leave usage. Japan has more public holidays than most developed countries, and employees have historically used them in place of annual leave. That is changing, but it shapes expectations.
- Expect slow weeks. Interview loops and offer decisions stall around Golden Week, Obon and the year-end break.
Sources
- Act on National Holidays (Act No. 178 of 1948), Articles 2 and 3, as amended.
- Labour Standards Act, Article 35.