Japan New Year Break 2025–2026: 9 Days
The standard company break is 9 days. Last workday is 2025-12-26, returning on 2026-01-05.
Bottom Line
The 2025–2026 New Year Break Schedule
On the standard company calendar, this is a 9-day break running from 2025-12-27 to 2026-01-04.
Spending PTO here is usually weaker than saving it for Golden Week or Silver Week.
December 2025
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
January 2026
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1元日 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12成人の日 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- Holiday
- Selected PTO
- Break range
- PTO option
The Dec 29–Jan 3 period includes days that are not national holidays, but koyomify treats them as a practical year-end break, following the "Act on Holidays of Government Organizations" observed by most Japanese companies.
Travel Rush & Crowd Predictions
With Sat, Dec 27 as the first day of the break, expect heavy congestion starting on that morning.
- Outbound Peak: Sat, Dec 27 MorningThe initial rush for shinkansen and flights will be concentrated on the morning of the break's start. To avoid the worst crowds, consider travel on the day before or delaying by a day.
- Return Peak: Sun, Jan 4 AfternoonCongestion will hit its peak on the break's final afternoon as workers return for the Mon, Jan 5 start. Morning travel or a late return (using 1 PTO day) are smoother options.
- Booking DeadlinesShinkansen tickets sell out quickly 1 month prior. Secure your seats in late November. Accommodations should be scouted by October.
How it varies by industry and company
- Office workers (IT, finance, services)Typical close: Dec 29 – Jan 3. With adjacent weekends, the break becomes 9 days this year.
- ManufacturingOften longer — many factories close around Dec 28 to Jan 4, set by the company calendar or union agreement.
- Retail and serviceYear-end and New Year are peak season. Many run normal hours or on shift; staff time off shifts to mid-January or later.
- Foreign-owned companiesLong Christmas leave (around Dec 24–26) is common; the New Year break itself may be standard business hours. Check the company calendar.
Last/first workday, and travel rush
Last workday: Fri, Dec 26. First workday back: Mon, Jan 5. A Monday return makes for a clean reset.
Outbound rush peaks around Sat, Dec 27; return rush peaks around Sun, Jan 4. Book shinkansen and flights one to two months ahead.
Schools vs companies
Public schools generally break from around Dec 25 to Jan 7 — wider than the standard company window. Families with kids may take PTO on the first few workdays of the new year to bridge the gap.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is Japan's New Year break in 2025–2026?
- For a typical private-sector company, it is 9 days: Sat, Dec 27 to Sun, Jan 4. The last workday is Fri, Dec 26, and work resumes on Mon, Jan 5.
- When is the last workday in 2025 and the first workday in 2026?
- Typical company calendar: last workday is Fri, Dec 26, first workday back is Mon, Jan 5. Manufacturing, retail, and foreign-owned companies may vary.
- Is it worth spending PTO on the New Year break?
- It can be worth one day if you need travel or family buffer. But because the New Year break is already a fixed company break, compare it with Golden Week, Silver Week, and 4-day weekend extensions before using your limited PTO here.
- When are the outbound and return travel rushes?
- Outbound travel tends to peak on the morning of Sat, Dec 27. Return travel tends to peak on the afternoon of Sun, Jan 4. Book shinkansen tickets one month ahead and start accommodation planning in October or November.
- December has no public holidays. Should I just wait for New Year?
- Not always. December has no public holidays and often carries a heavy year-end workload. A mid-December breather can reduce the crash before the official New Year break begins.
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年末年始は固定休暇です。能動的に有給を置くなら、次はGWやSWを含めた年間の配分を見てください。