Silver Week 2025 in Japan: Public Holidays in September

Silver Week: Japan's Early Fall Holidays

The dates marked in red are public holidays in September 2025. Photo by Pixta

Silver Week is a string of consecutive holidays in September. During this time, many Japanese take off from work to travel, leading to traffic congestion.

This article introduces the schedule of Silver Week in 2025, how to avoid the crowds and congestion, and some places to enjoy autumn travels. This set of consecutive holidays is like a shorter version of Golden Week, which occurs in early May.

Silver Week 2025

1. Silver Week: Public Holidays in September
3. How Silver Week Becomes a 10-Day Holiday
4. Points to Note and Ways to Enjoy Silver Week
5. Regarding Exclusion from Holiday Discounts on Expressways
6. The Best Destinations for Silver Week
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Silver Week: Public Holidays in September

The Harvest Moon and the silvery susuki pampas grass are some of the seasonal highlights in September

Silver Week does not occur every year.

In 2025, it will consist of a three-day weekend from September 13 to 15 and a streak of days from September 20 to 23, but it will not become a long holiday of five or more consecutive days.

When does Silver Week become a holiday of five or more days?

Silver Week appears only when the two national holidays in September happen to fall so close together that a special extended holiday of five or more days is possible.

These two holidays are "Respect for the Aged Day" on the third Monday of September, and "Autumnal Equinox Day" around September 23 (*1).

In Japan, weekdays between national holidays become "citizen’s holidays," so if Respect for the Aged Day and Autumnal Equinox Day fall close together, the weekdays in between also become days off.

For example, if Respect for the Aged Day is on a Monday and Autumnal Equinox Day falls on a Wednesday two days later, the Tuesday in between also becomes a holiday. This creates a maximum five-day Silver Week holiday, including weekends.

*1: Autumnal Equinox Day... the day when day and night are of equal length, determined by an astronomical calculation. In Japan, it is also a day to celebrate a good harvest and honor ancestors.

How Silver Week Becomes a 10-Day Holiday

Photo by Pixta
Those who want to maximize Silver Week in 2025 can take a day off on Friday, September 19, and Monday, September 22.

By doing so, the first part of the holiday can be a 3-day weekend from Saturday, September 13th, to Monday, September 15th. The second part can then become a 5-day holiday from Friday, September 19th, to Monday, September 23rd.

Silver Week Is a 10-Day Holiday in 2026

The next Silver Week with more than five consecutive days will occur in 2026. After that, it is scheduled for 2032 and 2037.

In 2026, those who take three days off—specifically, Thursday, September 24th, and Friday, September 25th, plus either Friday, September 18th, or Monday, September 28th—can create a maximum 10-day Silver Week holiday.

Important Points About Silver Week

During Silver Week, many people living in Japan travel for homecoming or vacations, resulting in heavy movement across the country. Roads, trains, airports, and tourist attractions become extremely crowded, so it's important to plan ahead and exercise caution when traveling.

No matter the mode of transportation, congestion is inevitable during Silver Week. Driving by car or bus can lead to traffic jams, which might cause you to lose an entire day.

While train travel allows for timely arrivals, the high volume of passengers often means seats are fully booked, making it easy to become exhausted from standing or overcrowding.

To save time and avoid traffic, reserving seats on trains or choosing air travel can ensure a smoother journey. However, since this is a busy period, prices tend to rise, so booking early is recommended.

Since many people will be leaving Tokyo to visit their hometowns, metropolitan routes heading to the countryside tend to be crowded during the first half of Silver Week. Conversely, routes from the countryside back to the cities are usually busy in the latter half.

Awareness of this pattern can help you avoid some traffic when planning your travel.

Additionally, data indicates that traffic tends to be lighter on the final day of Silver Week and similar holidays. This may be because many people prefer to relax on their last day off or need to prepare for returning to work the next day.

The Best Destinations During Silver Week

1. The Earliest Autumn Foliage in Japan! Mt. Daisetsu in Hokkaido

Picture courtesy of Sounkyo Tourism Association
The end of September, during Silver Week, is a little early to see autumn foliage. However, you can enjoy the wonderful fall colors in the north, where temperatures drop quickly on higher ground.

Mt. Daisetsu is said to have the earliest autumn foliage in the country, and it can be enjoyed from mid-September until early October. Take the ropeway halfway up, and a seven-minute lift ride will get you to the top. If you’re confident in your stamina and physical fitness, you can also walk to the summit to enjoy the amazing view.

Daisetsuzan National Park

Sounkyo, Kamikawa-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido 078-1701

2. Enjoy the Season with Hot Springs! Shin-Hotaka in Gifu

The Shin-Hotaka Ropeway is famous as a place where visitors can look down at the autumn foliage that shrouds the overlapping mountains. We recommend taking a dip in the open-air bath at the waystation on the ropeway, so you can relax and gaze out at the mountains.

A round trip fare for the ropeway (2,900 yen), a ticket for food and drink (2,900 yen), and a pass to the open air bath (600 yen) can all be had in the “Refreshing Pack” for just 3900 yen, which is quite a bargain.

3. Attend one of Tokyo’s Three Great Festivals: Nezu Shrine Reitaisai

The Nezu Jinja Reitaisai (*2) is a historic festival at Nezu Shrine that sees normally 30,000 attendees a year.

At the festival, you can see traditional shrine dances, as well as mikoshi (portable decorated shrines that are carried around). Street stalls line the festival’s spacious grounds, and you can really enjoy the bustling atmosphere around you.

4. Hakone’s Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Fields

Also known as silver grass, many visitors flock to Hakone to see the sight of vast fields of pampas grass, which can be enjoyed from late September to early November every year. The silver and gold fields of Sengokuhara are the perfect way to enjoy the atmosphere of fall.

Hakone is also home to many other fantastic sightseeing spots. These include beautiful Lake Ashi and its famous pirate ship cruise, the surreal art of the Hakone Open-Air Museum, and the ropeway to steaming volcanic Mount Owakudani.

If you’re very lucky and the weather is clear, you may also get the chance to enjoy Hakone’s iconic view of Mount Fuji!

5. See Breathtaking Golden Fields Against the Backdrop of Mount Fuji at Lake Yamanaka

Lake Yamanaka is one of the famed Fuji Five Lakes, where visitors can enjoy some of the most stunning views of Japan’s most iconic mountain.

Yamanakako Hana no Miyako Park, located on the west side of Lake Yamanaka, is famed for its stunning seasonal flowers, and every fall from late September onwards the park becomes a vast field of golden cosmos flowers! Referred to as “fall sakura” in Japanese, these flowers are a stunning sight which can only be enjoyed in this season.

To the east side of the lake lies the Lake Yamanaka Panoramic Deck, a point from which visitors can enjoy incredible views of the lake and Mount Fuji. In fall, the fields in front of Mount Fuji become a vast sea of golden pampas grass.

Enjoy the Charm of Early Autumn in Japan during Silver Week

The season around Silver Week offers wonderful weather and food, and it’s the perfect time for traveling. Take the unique travel situations of consecutive holiday periods into account when you plan your trip in order to make the best of your time in Japan.

Main image from Pixta