Travelling Japan while the whole country is also travelling
Japan's long holiday stretch in early May fills the trains, fills the hotels, and packs the big stations until the network slows in bursts. This is how to prepare your connectivity for that week.
Kurz erklärt
- Japan's long holiday period falls around late April to early May, but the exact dates shift every year — check the official Japanese public holiday calendar before you fix your travel dates.
- You will use the phone harder than usual that week — reserving seats, rechecking timetables that shift, and searching for somewhere to eat again and again. Budget more data than for an ordinary Japan trip.
- Reserved shinkansen seats go early in this period. Book ahead through the rail operator's own channels rather than relying on booking at the station on the day.
| Situation | What tends to happen | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Häufige Fragen
What dates is Golden Week this year?+
The dates change every year, because they depend on which weekday each public holiday lands on, so we do not state them here. Check Japan's official public holiday calendar before you plan.
Should I just avoid this period?+
If your dates are flexible, shifting by a week makes everything easier — booking and crowds alike. If you cannot avoid it, the period is perfectly travellable; you simply have to book further ahead and leave more slack.
Is a Japan-only plan enough, or should I take a regional one?+
If the whole trip is inside Japan, a dedicated Japan plan usually gives more data per unit and is simpler to manage. A regional plan makes sense when you continue on to Korea or Taiwan in the same trip.
What do I do if I cannot get a reserved seat?+
Many long-distance trains have non-reserved cars, which can mean standing. The practical approach is to reach the platform early and accept that you may end up on the next service. The rules for each car type belong to the rail operator and can change, so check the operator's website.
Instagram and TikTok have no web share button, so we open your phone's share sheet or copy the link instead.