For your better holiday planning

Ahh… the holiday season has finally come. What’s your plan, Currymates? Are you planning to travel or maybe decide to stay at home? Let's plan your vacation!

Talking about holidays, they are usually associated with big celebrations or big and sacred days for some religions. In Indonesia, we experience a long holiday season during celebrating Eid and the long holiday towards the end of the year for Christmas celebrations 

Similarly, Japanese people also celebrate various major holidays every year. Some big days are packed into one big holiday week. So, here are some major holidays in Japan that you need to pay attention to:

New Year

Like other countries, Japan also celebrates the new year with great fanfare and festivals that are everywhere. However, there is one thing that sets them apart: many businesses are usually closed from January 1-3 for the New Year’s celebrations and most people also spend this time gathering with their families.

If you want to celebrate the New Year in Japan and attend the festivals. It’s best to arrive before New Year's Eve to avoid various potential problems arising from many businesses being closed for three days during New Year's celebration. 

Golden Week

Golden Week is a series of holidays in Japan that starts from late April to early May. Some of these holidays are Showa no Hi, Kenpo Kinenbi, Midori no Hi, and Kodomo no Hi. This period presents an opportunity for many events that you can attend, especially in big cities like Tokyo, making Golden Week the busiest holiday season in Japan.

If you're lucky, this series of big days will coincide with the weekend so that the holidays are longer. However, due to the busy nature of Golden Week, you might find it a bit challenging if you don't like crowds. Moreover, various public transportation such as bullet trains will be packed with tourists and locals traveling.

Obon

Obon is an annual celebration to commemorate the spirits of ancestors who are believed to visit their living relatives on earth. Namely in mid-July and mid-August. The difference in the time of Obon celebration occurs because of differences in determining the Calendar in the past.

During the Obon celebration, the atmosphere is similar to Eid in Indonesia. Many people from big cities travel to different areas especially to visit their relatives in the villages for a few days and then return to the city at the end of the Obon season.

Silver Week

Silver Week occurs in September when there are two consecutive weeks which have 3 days-weekend. This period also marks autumn in Japan, offering the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views in several areas such as Mount Daisetsu in Hokkaido. Moreover, because the air is starting to cool down, you can also enjoy hot springs in places like Shinhotaka.

A few things to consider for if Currymates want to visit Japan during these major holidays. One of them is preparing a larger budget because there is a possibility that accommodation prices such as transportation tickets and hotels will go up. Apart from that, on some of these holidays there will also be many festivals and events that will be held, you don’t want to miss them just because you’re lacking in budget, right?.