Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク Gōruden Wīku) runs from April 29 to May 5, packing four national holidays into one week. Many offices close, but otaku culture operates on its own schedule.
The Holidays
- Apr 29: Showa Day (昭和の日)
- May 3: Constitution Day (憲法記念日)
- May 4: Greenery Day (みどりの日)
- May 5: Children’s Day (こどもの日)
What’s Open
- Akihabara: Most major stores remain open, often with Golden Week sales. Radio Kaikan and Yodobashi Camera run normally.
- Nakano Broadway: Open, but some smaller shops may close for 1-2 days.
- Animate, Gamers, Toranoana: Open with regular hours.
- Arcades: 24-hour operation continues normally.
- Museums: Check individually. The Ghibli Museum closes for Golden Week; teamLab Planets stays open.
Events
- Comiket: Not during Golden Week (it’s summer and winter). But smaller doujin events happen at Tokyo Big Sight.
- NicoNico Chokaigi: Usually falls on the weekend before Golden Week (end of April).
- Local matsuri: Many neighborhoods hold children’s day festivals on May 5.
Survival Tips
- Restaurants: Many non-chain restaurants close for 3–7 days. Check Google Maps for closure notices.
- Trains: Off-peak hours are comfortable. Rush hour during Golden Week is still busy but less intense than usual.
- Accommodation: Hotels in otaku-friendly areas (Akihabara, Asakusa) book months in advance for Golden Week.
Vocab: ゴールデンウィーク Gōruden Wīku: Golden Week. Japan’s concentrated holiday period in late April to early May.