Silver Week

Are you currently stressed out preparing for finals? Take a break, relax and learn more about Japan’s culture and traditions while you’re at it!

Heard you watched the anime Bakemonogatari (化物語)? Remember the reference to Golden Week? Maybe you didn’t watch that anime but I believe you may have previously heard about Golden Week. Aside from the Golden Week, did you know that Japan recently commemorated Silver Week just last month? If you’re wondering if Silver Week is all about honoring the elderly in Japan, then you have a common misconception (Well, not entirely)!

Similar to Golden Week which occurs annually in May, Silver Week is filled with 2 official holidays. Namely:

● Respect for the Aged Day / 敬老の日 (3rd Monday of September)

Credit: ozbot.typepad.com

● Autumnal Equinox Day / 秋分の日 (Falls on September 22nd /23rd)

Credit: JohannSchmidt @ Flickr

Credit : http://jasoncollin.org/

According to Japanese Law, a weekday that’s sandwiched between two holidays’ is also converted into a holiday, otherwise known as

● Citizens’ Holiday / 国民の休日

As a result, there are 3 consecutive holidays in a week! Since it is uncommon for 1 week to have 3 holidays, the entire week itself is converted into a holiday!

As with long holidays, be prepared for a surge in people travelling within Japan. Prices also increase due to the holiday season. Not to fret, even if tourist destinations like Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa becomes increasingly out of reach, maybe a trip to places like Miyajima Island would be a nice scenic alternative.

Credit: visit-miyajima-japan.com/

Just a note, Silver Week is not observed annually and happens once or twice every decade. The next time Japan commemorates Silver Week will be in 2026! Remember to mark your calendars for the autumn celebrations if you’re travelling to Japan during those times. (Do try the “kuri gohan”, or roasted chestnut rice during this time as it is abundant and it’s a favorite delicacy in autumn.)

Credit: jpninfo.com

Post by Brandon Goh