Long weekends in Japan, 2026
Japan's calendar gives 8 natural long weekends in 2026 — three or more consecutive free days without taking leave — and 3 more open up with bridge days. The best value is Sat 2 May – Wed 6 May: 5 days off for free.
| Dates | Days off | Costs | Built on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | 4 | 1 day | 元日 · bridge: Fri 2 Jan |
| Sat 10 Jan – Mon 12 Jan | 3 | free | 成人の日 |
| Sat 21 Feb – Mon 23 Feb | 3 | free | 天皇誕生日 |
| Fri 20 Mar – Sun 22 Mar | 3 | free | 春分の日 |
| Sat 2 May – Wed 6 May | 5 | free | みどりの日, こどもの日, 憲法記念日 (振替休日) |
| Sat 18 Jul – Mon 20 Jul | 3 | free | 海の日 |
| Sat 8 Aug – Tue 11 Aug | 4 | 1 day | 山の日 · bridge: Mon 10 Aug |
| Sat 19 Sept – Wed 23 Sept | 5 | free | 敬老の日, 国民の休日, 秋分の日 |
| Sat 10 Oct – Mon 12 Oct | 3 | free | スポーツの日 |
| Sat 31 Oct – Tue 3 Nov | 4 | 1 day | 文化の日 · bridge: Mon 2 Nov |
| Sat 21 Nov – Mon 23 Nov | 3 | free | 勤労感謝の日 |
Sources and last check
Times, offsets and sun positions on this page are computed live from the IANA timezone database and the NOAA solar algorithm, so they do not depend on the review dates below.
- Public holidays for 120 countries, 2025-2028
- Source: date-holidays, generated by scripts/build-holidays.mjs. Last checked, reviewed every 12 months.
Not covered:Public holidays only, including statutory substitute days; regional and observance days are excluded. 21 of our countries are not in the dataset and have no calendar. Regenerate on every date-holidays upgrade: the 25 July build silently lacked Korea's substitute days because the installed package predated them. Known upstream gap: El Salvador — the source lists 8 public days where Nager.Date confirms ~20, and files New Year's Day as an observance; we publish what the source holds rather than invent, and the weekly Nager run tracks the gap. - Working hours and weekend days for 55 countries
- Source: Published national labour conventions and government working-hours guidance. Last checked, reviewed every 12 months.
Not covered:A national convention, not any given employer. Countries not listed fall back to a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday default, and pages say so rather than implying we checked.
FAQ
How many long weekends does Japan have in 2026?
8 without taking any leave, and 3 more that need one or two bridge days. The table lists every one with its dates.
What is the best bridge day in Japan in 2026?
Sat 2 May – Wed 6 May — 5 consecutive days off, no leave needed, built around みどりの日 and こどもの日 and 憲法記念日 (振替休日).
What counts as a long weekend here?
Three or more consecutive free days involving at least one public holiday. Plain two-day weekends are not listed, and a stretch is only 'bridged' when a single working day sits between free days on both sides.
Other years: 2025, 2027, 2028 · All holidays · Working days in 2026