2026 (Reiwa 8) · Year of the Horse · Japan Calendar
Bottom Line
2026 is A two-peak year: Golden Week and September.
Put 4 PTO days into GW and 2 into SW to build spring and autumn break peaks. With 10 PTO days as the lens, "GW 4d + SW 2d + small recovery 2d + reserve 2d" is the practical way to separate large break peaks, recovery days, and reserve time.
For a maxed-out version, a 12 PTO day plan can use GW 4d + SW 4d + recovery 2d + reserve 2d, stretching Golden Week to 12 days and Silver Week to 11 days.
Do not ignore June and December as zero-holiday month(s), or April and June and August as hell-months.
* Year-end and New Year are treated as a fixed break and excluded from the active PTO strategy. → Full 2026–2027 New Year break breakdown
Pick a leave style to switch the recommended PTO and recovery options shown on the calendar.
GW 12-day, SW 9-day as the main breaks, with 2 recovery days and 2 flexible days.
Uses two PTO days each for GW 9-day, SW 9-day, with 4 recovery days and 2 reserve days.
Hides the PTO plan and shows only holidays and weekends.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1元日大安 | 2赤口 | 3先勝 | ||||
| 4友引 | 5先負 | 6仏滅 | 7大安 | 8赤口 | 9先勝 | 10友引 |
| 11先負 | 12成人の日仏滅 | 13大安 | 14赤口 | 15先勝 | 16友引 | 17先負 |
| 18仏滅 | 19赤口 | 20先勝 | 21友引 | 22先負 | 23仏滅 | 24大安 |
| 25赤口 | 26先勝 | 27友引 | 28先負 | 29仏滅 | 30大安 | 31赤口 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1先勝 | 2友引 | 3先負 | 4仏滅 | 5大安 | 6赤口 | 7先勝 |
| 8友引 | 9先負 | 10仏滅 | 11建国記念の日大安 | 12赤口 | 13先勝 | 14友引 |
| 15先負 | 16仏滅 | 17先勝 | 18友引 | 19先負 | 20仏滅 | 21大安 |
| 22赤口 | 23天皇誕生日先勝 | 24友引 | 25先負 | 26仏滅 | 27大安 | 28赤口 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1先勝 | 2友引 | 3先負 | 4仏滅 | 5大安 | 6赤口 | 7先勝 |
| 8友引 | 9先負 | 10仏滅 | 11大安 | 12赤口 | 13先勝 | 14友引 |
| 15先負 | 16仏滅 | 17大安 | 18赤口 | 19友引 | 20春分の日先負 | 21仏滅 |
| 22大安 | 23赤口 | 24先勝 | 25友引 | 26先負 | 27仏滅 | 28大安 |
| 29赤口 | 30先勝 | 31友引 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1先負 | 2仏滅 | 3大安 | 4赤口 | |||
| 5先勝 | 6友引 | 7先負 | 8仏滅 | 9大安 | 10赤口 | 11先勝 |
| 12友引 | 13先負 | 14仏滅 | 15大安 | 16赤口 | 17先負 | 18仏滅 |
| 19大安 | 20赤口 | 21先勝 | 22友引 | 23先負 | 24仏滅 | 25大安 |
| 26赤口 | 27先勝 | 28友引 | 29昭和の日先負 | 30仏滅 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1大安 | 2赤口 | |||||
| 3憲法記念日先勝 | 4みどりの日友引 | 5こどもの日先負 | 6振替休日仏滅 | 7大安 | 8赤口 | 9先勝 |
| 10友引 | 11先負 | 12仏滅 | 13大安 | 14赤口 | 15先勝 | 16友引 |
| 17仏滅 | 18大安 | 19赤口 | 20先勝 | 21友引 | 22先負 | 23仏滅 |
| 24大安 | 25赤口 | 26先勝 | 27友引 | 28先負 | 29仏滅 | 30大安 |
| 31赤口 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1先勝 | 2友引 | 3先負 | 4仏滅 | 5大安 | 6赤口 | |
| 7先勝 | 8友引 | 9先負 | 10仏滅 | 11大安 | 12赤口 | 13先勝 |
| 14友引 | 15大安 | 16赤口 | 17先勝 | 18友引 | 19先負 | 20仏滅 |
| 21大安 | 22赤口 | 23先勝 | 24友引 | 25先負 | 26仏滅 | 27大安 |
| 28赤口 | 29先勝 | 30友引 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1先負 | 2仏滅 | 3大安 | 4赤口 | |||
| 5先勝 | 6友引 | 7先負 | 8仏滅 | 9大安 | 10赤口 | 11先勝 |
| 12友引 | 13先負 | 14赤口 | 15先勝 | 16友引 | 17先負 | 18仏滅 |
| 19大安 | 20海の日赤口 | 21先勝 | 22友引 | 23先負 | 24仏滅 | 25大安 |
| 26赤口 | 27先勝 | 28友引 | 29先負 | 30仏滅 | 31大安 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1赤口 | ||||||
| 2先勝 | 3友引 | 4先負 | 5仏滅 | 6大安 | 7赤口 | 8先勝 |
| 9友引 | 10先負 | 11山の日仏滅 | 12大安 | 13先勝 | 14友引 | 15先負 |
| 16仏滅 | 17大安 | 18赤口 | 19先勝 | 20友引 | 21先負 | 22仏滅 |
| 23大安 | 24赤口 | 25先勝 | 26友引 | 27先負 | 28仏滅 | 29大安 |
| 30赤口 | 31先勝 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1友引 | 2先負 | 3仏滅 | 4大安 | 5赤口 | ||
| 6先勝 | 7友引 | 8先負 | 9仏滅 | 10大安 | 11友引 | 12先負 |
| 13仏滅 | 14大安 | 15赤口 | 16先勝 | 17友引 | 18先負 | 19仏滅 |
| 20大安 | 21敬老の日赤口 | 22休日先勝 | 23秋分の日友引 | 24先負 | 25仏滅 | 26大安 |
| 27赤口 | 28先勝 | 29友引 | 30先負 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1仏滅 | 2大安 | 3赤口 | ||||
| 4先勝 | 5友引 | 6先負 | 7仏滅 | 8大安 | 9赤口 | 10先負 |
| 11仏滅 | 12スポーツの日大安 | 13赤口 | 14先勝 | 15友引 | 16先負 | 17仏滅 |
| 18大安 | 19赤口 | 20先勝 | 21友引 | 22先負 | 23仏滅 | 24大安 |
| 25赤口 | 26先勝 | 27友引 | 28先負 | 29仏滅 | 30大安 | 31赤口 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1先勝 | 2友引 | 3文化の日先負 | 4仏滅 | 5大安 | 6赤口 | 7先勝 |
| 8友引 | 9仏滅 | 10大安 | 11赤口 | 12先勝 | 13友引 | 14先負 |
| 15仏滅 | 16大安 | 17赤口 | 18先勝 | 19友引 | 20先負 | 21仏滅 |
| 22大安 | 23勤労感謝の日赤口 | 24先勝 | 25友引 | 26先負 | 27仏滅 | 28大安 |
| 29赤口 | 30先勝 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1友引 | 2先負 | 3仏滅 | 4大安 | 5赤口 | ||
| 6先勝 | 7友引 | 8先負 | 9大安 | 10赤口 | 11先勝 | 12友引 |
| 13先負 | 14仏滅 | 15大安 | 16赤口 | 17先勝 | 18友引 | 19先負 |
| 20仏滅 | 21大安 | 22赤口 | 23先勝 | 24友引 | 25先負 | 26仏滅 |
| 27大安 | 28赤口 | 29先勝 | 30友引 | 31先負 |
The annual plan uses GW 4d + SW 2d because those PTO blocks connect natural days off cleanly across both seasons.
4 PTO days → 12-day block (Apr 29–May 10).
The annual allocation uses Apr 30 + May 1 + May 7 + May 8 for this block. The Golden Week detail page keeps the longer alternatives available for comparison.
Caveat: peak travel costs and crowds, with the heaviest return load of the year.
2 PTO days → 9-day block (Sep 19–Sep 27).
Best for: resetting after summer fatigue, with calmer crowds.
Caveat: typhoon season. Confirm cancellation policies and have an indoor backup before you book.
The annual recommendation puts 4 PTO days into GW and 2 into SW, creating 12-day and 9-day break peaks.
PTO isn't spent — it's placed. Split it into days that build long blocks, days that drain accumulated fatigue, and days held back for the unexpected. Pick the pattern that's closest to how you actually want the year to feel. Compare the calendar-led recommendation with a recovery-focused split.
Stack PTO into both GW and SW for a 12-day GW and a 9-day SW, while keeping recovery days in the plan. This is the calendar-led recommendation for 2026.
Example: GW 4d + SW 2d + recovery 2d + reserve 2d
→ See 2026's recommended Golden Week plan
→ See 2026's recommended Silver Week plan
GW 2 + SW 2 + recovery 4 + reserve 2. Best for anyone who wants regular rest throughout the year instead of putting more PTO into one large break.
Example: GW 2d + SW 2d + recovery 4d + reserve 2d
Japan has 8 three-day weekends in 2026, created by public holidays that fall on or near weekends.
These long weekends are useful for short trips, family visits, and recovery days without using paid leave. If you are planning time off in Japan, it is better to check these three-day weekends first, then decide where to add PTO for longer breaks. 6 of them turn into a 4-day block with a single PTO day on either side.
| Period | Natural length | +1 PTO upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 10 – Jan 12 | 3 days | Take Jan 9 → 4-day block |
| Feb 21 – Feb 23 | 3 days | Take Feb 20 → 4-day block |
| Mar 20 – Mar 22 | 3 days | Take Mar 19 → 4-day block |
| May 2 – May 6 | 5 days | Take May 1 → 6-day block |
| Jul 18 – Jul 20 | 3 days | Take Jul 17 → 4-day block |
| Sep 19 – Sep 23 | 5 days | Take Sep 18 → 6-day block |
Split your 10 PTO days into three buckets — large blocks for trips, small recoveries to keep fatigue down, and a flexible reserve for the unexpected. Year-end and New Year are kept aside as a fixed break.
Take 4 PTO days (Apr 30 + May 1 + May 7 + May 8) for a 12-day stretch (Apr 29 – May 10).
Take 2 PTO days (Sep 24 + Sep 25) for a 9-day stretch (Sep 19 – Sep 27).
Add a single day next to a 3-day weekend to make it four, or take a midweek breather. Easy to request, light on return load — the reps that keep fatigue from piling up.
Slack for sick days, family events, or unusually busy stretches. Don't pre-fill these — keeping the reserve open is the point.
→ 2026 Japan PTO days worth taking (full ranking at efficiency 1.5+)
PTO is not just about maximizing day count. Whether your manager will sign it, how heavy your return is, and whether you'll burn out by year-end matter just as much.
| Plan | Best for | Ease | Return load | PTO days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make Golden Week a 12-day block | Travel or family-visit plans | Mid | High | 4 |
| Make SW a 9-day block | Reset after summer fatigue | Mid | Mid | 2 |
| Turn a 3-day weekend into 4 days | Frequent, small breathers | High | Low | 1 |
| Take a single weekday off | Pure fatigue recovery | High | Low | 1 |
In 2026, build two large blocks (GW and SW) and pair them with small recoveries to stay sustainable.
Adding a single PTO day to a 3-day weekend gives you four days off. Less dramatic than a long block, but easy to request and light on return load.
Stack a few of these through 2026 and you'll keep fatigue from piling up. Don't lean only on GW and SW — the small reps matter.
→ 2026 long-weekend list with 1-PTO extension patterns
→ 2026 scattered holidays (1-PTO bridges for Tue/Thu holidays)
The annual recommendation uses 4 PTO days (Apr 30 + May 1 + May 7 + May 8) for a 12-day stretch (Apr 29–May 10).
Travel costs and crowds peak during this window, so book early. Return load is heavier than other long blocks — set up handovers ahead of time and keep the first week back light.
In 2026, taking 2 PTO days (Sep 24 + Sep 25) turns SW into a 9-day stretch (Sep 19–Sep 27). A natural fit for resetting after summer.
Typhoon season may overlap, so keep a weather backup plan. Return load is lighter than Golden Week, and crowds are more manageable.
Months ranked by holiday count and 3-day-or-longer-weekend count. Lower numbers mean fatigue piles up faster.
The harshest month in 2026 is Jun: 0 holidays, 0 long weekends. Without a PTO patch, recovery is hard.
| Rank | Month | Severity | Holidays | 3+-day weekends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun | Hell | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Apr | Hell | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | Aug | Hell | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Mar | Tough | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Jul | Tough | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Oct | Tough | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Jan | Average | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Feb | Average | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | Nov | Average | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | Sep | Recovery | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | May | Recovery | 4 | 1 |
→ 2026 hell-month ranking with month-by-month survival tactics
→ 2026 months with no public holidays (with the longest dry stretch)