Long Weekends in Japan 2025
Japan has 16 public holidays in 2025, creating 14 long-weekend opportunities — 9 automatic 3-day weekends and 5 bridge chances where a day or two of leave buys a longer break.
Smartest break
Take 1 leave day around Foundation Day (February 11, 2025) for 4 days off — Feb 8 – Feb 11.
| Holiday | Date | Leave to book | Days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Wed, Jan 1 | Mon, Dec 30, Tue, Dec 31 | 5 | Dec 28 – Jan 1 |
| Coming of Age Day | Mon, Jan 13 | None — automatic | 3 | Jan 11 – Jan 13 |
| Foundation Day | Tue, Feb 11 | Mon, Feb 10 | 4 | Feb 8 – Feb 11 |
| Emperor's Birthday (substitute day) | Mon, Feb 24 | None — automatic | 3 | Feb 22 – Feb 24 |
| Spring Equinox Day | Thu, Mar 20 | Fri, Mar 21 | 4 | Mar 20 – Mar 23 |
| Showa Day | Tue, Apr 29 | Mon, Apr 28 | 4 | Apr 26 – Apr 29 |
| Children's Day | Mon, May 5 | None — automatic | 3 | May 3 – May 5 |
| Marine Day | Mon, Jul 21 | None — automatic | 3 | Jul 19 – Jul 21 |
| Mountain Day | Mon, Aug 11 | None — automatic | 3 | Aug 9 – Aug 11 |
| Respect-for-the-Aged Day | Mon, Sep 15 | None — automatic | 3 | Sep 13 – Sep 15 |
| Autumnal Equinox Day | Tue, Sep 23 | Mon, Sep 22 | 4 | Sep 20 – Sep 23 |
| Sports Day | Mon, Oct 13 | None — automatic | 3 | Oct 11 – Oct 13 |
| Culture Day | Mon, Nov 3 | None — automatic | 3 | Nov 1 – Nov 3 |
| Labor Thanksgiving Day (substitute day) | Mon, Nov 24 | None — automatic | 3 | Nov 22 – Nov 24 |
Long weekend FAQ
- What is a bridge day?
- A bridge day ("puente" in Spanish) is a workday wedged between a public holiday and the weekend. Book it off and the holiday and weekend join into one unbroken break.
- How many long weekends does Japan have in 2025?
- Japan has 14 long-weekend opportunities in 2025: 9 that need no leave and 5 that need one or two days off.