In 2025, Shōwa Day falls on a Tuesday, so the Monday before is often taken as a bridge day for a four-day weekend.
About Shōwa Day
Showa Day (Showa no Hi) is a Japanese public holiday held on 29 April, the birthday of the late Emperor Showa, known posthumously by his era name and abroad as Hirohito. It invites reflection on the turbulent Showa era of 1926 to 1989, which spanned war, defeat and postwar recovery. Once celebrated as the Emperor's birthday, the date was renamed Greenery Day after his death in 1989 and became Showa Day in 2007. It opens the string of holidays known as Golden Week.
As a somewhat solemn holiday, Showa Day carries less festive ritual than most Japanese observances and is instead framed as a time to look back on a difficult era and consider the nation's future. In practice, most people treat it as the first day of Golden Week, a rare stretch of consecutive days off. Families travel, visit relatives or take short holidays, and roads, trains and airports grow crowded. Some museums and exhibitions mark the Showa period, and public offices, banks and many businesses close for the day.
Shōwa Day · 2025–2030
Frequently asked questions
When is Shōwa Day 2025 in Japan?
Tuesday, Tuesday, 29 April 2025.
Is Shōwa Day a public holiday in Japan?
Shōwa Day — Public holiday (Japan).