Why Check The Japanese Calendar? What's The Big Deal?

The Japanese calendar is step 2 of the 6 essentials on our Tokyo Travel Essentials guide. We know it may seem odd to put the calendar in second place when you're planning your Tokyo vacation, but there's a very good reason why. Imagine you plan your holiday. You decide your dates, you book your flights, you choose your hotel... and then you find out that one of the biggest Japan festivals of the year is happening on the morning you're due to fly out. You'd be disappointed, right?

That's why it's step 1 for us : ) There are 15 fixed national holiday dates on the Japanese calendar We don't want you to miss out so we've put together all the key dates so you can see what's on and when.

If you just want to go straight and check the dates then head straight on over to our Japanese national holidays page. If you want to know a little more about why you should bother checking all this out just carry on reading down.

What's So Different About A Japanese National Holiday or Festival Day?

You're probably wondering why we're making such a big deal of the whole national holiday and festivals thing in Japan. After all, every country has festivals and special cultural events so why should you care when you're in Japan?

As a visitor there's 3 reasons for knowing what's going on when while you're here:

• On the major national holidays on the Japanese calendar, you need to know that some shops will close and, as modern as Tokyo may seem, things like access to your cash can also get a lot harder! No kidding. Our advice is to make sure to plan ahead and make sure you have enough cash on you to see you through till the end of these periods. For things like Japanese New Year and Golden Week that means taking out enough cash for 3 or 4 days. Doing this saves you a whole load of hassle in case the bank you need to use your ATM card in is closed. Yes the ATMs are closed as well!
• Things like travel around Japan get both busier and more expensive on big Japanese calendar days or festivals. Again, Japanese New Year, Golden Week and Obon see the biggest rises and reserved seating is often impossible to come by if you leave your booking till the last minute. Our advice would be to avoid these dates if possible - unless of course they're your reason for being here! Remember to check the dates on our Japanese National Holidays and Japanese Festivals pages.
• Umm, we have to say it, Japanese festivals and special days are really something else. I've traveled a fair bit and I love experiencing the cultural traditions and rituals that different societies follow. Japan definitely tops my list for countries that know how to celebrate in style. You've got to experience it and then you'll know what we mean ; )

Are Festivals And Special Events Ok For Kids?

This one is a little tricky to answer as some of it depends on what's ok for you. What do we think? The general rule for us would be the more people expected to attend, the more difficult and stressful for parents.

Dates like Kodomo no Hi and National Sports Day are all about kids so it's most definitely ok to take them to any of these celebrations. They'll love it and you'll probably find you get special attention just for turning up.

When do you need to think twice? Some of the bigger festivals, like the Sanja Festival I mentioned on the Japanese National Holidays page can be a handful, especially if you have a little one that likes to wander off. Many festivals can get pretty crowded and the last thing you want is to have a lost child situation on your hands. Just be careful, make sure you keep them in sight and all should be fine.

Ok. If you've filled out any special dates happening during your stay in Japan in your Tokyo Travel Essentials it's time to move to step 3...

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Taming Tokyo: The Guidebook

Wouldn't you love to find a guidebook that is just for first-time visitors to Tokyo. Find those all important things that only a local would know like: what to expect at the airport, what Japanese is most useful for a traveler to know, what packing tips are specific for Tokyo, what should you do in an emergency, the basics of using the trains, and much more. Head over to Taming Tokyo today and judge for yourself.