Public holidays in Japan

Public holidays in Japan (国民の祝日, kokumin no shukujitsu) were first established by the Public Holiday Law (国民の祝日に関する法律, Kokumin no Shukujitsu ni Kansuru Hōritsu, lit. "An Act on public holidays"; Act No. 178 of 1948) of 1948. It has since been amended 11 times to add additional holidays, the latest being in 2018,^[1] for a total of 16 recognized holidays.^[2]

Article 3 of this law specifies that when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day shall become a public holiday, known as furikae kyūjitsu (振替休日, "compensatory public holiday", literally "substitute holiday").^[3] Article 3 also determines that any day that falls between two other national holidays shall also become a holiday, known as kokumin no kyūjitsu (国民の休日, literally "citizens' holiday").^[4] May 4, sandwiched between Constitution Memorial Day on May 3 and Children's Day on May 5, was an annual example of such a holiday until it was replaced by Greenery Day in 2007.

Although it is not an official holiday, most companies voluntarily designate a holiday from December 29 to January 3, or, depending on the industry, from Christmas Eve to January 5. This case is unique in Asia.^[5]