Calendar · 2026-05
May 2026 — Golden Week, Sanja Matsuri and new tea
Past-month archive. Dates and conditions here refer to 2026-05; they are not announcements for the next season. Check the linked organisers for current plans.
Golden Week holidays shape the start of May, followed by Asakusa’s Sanja Matsuri and the spring tea harvest. This is a record for May 2026: holiday dates and festival arrangements should not be carried forward to another year.
Events
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2026-04-29; 2026-05-03 to 2026-05-06
Golden Week holidays in 2026
Nationwide
The Cabinet Office lists Showa Day on April 29, Constitution Memorial Day on May 3, Greenery Day on May 4 and Children’s Day on May 5, followed by a substitute holiday on May 6. April 30 and May 1 were not national holidays. Check the calendar for your year rather than assuming the whole period is one continuous public holiday.
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2026-05-15 to 2026-05-17
Sanja Matsuri
Asakusa Shrine, Tokyo
Taito City listed May 15–17 for Asakusa Shrine’s 2026 festival. Processions, binzasara dance and mikoshi carried through the neighbourhood form part of the programme. For another year, use the shrine’s new schedule rather than these archived dates.
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Spring; timing varies by region and growing conditions
Spring tea harvest (shincha)
Uji (Kyoto), Shizuoka
Shincha means the season’s new tea. JETRO describes the first picking as occurring between late March and mid-May, depending on the tea field’s location and climate. Look for 新茶 on shop labels; farm access and tea-picking experiences require their own arrangements.
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