In case you're not aware, the Japanese holiday season Golden Week is approaching.  This is April 28 - May 6. 

If you have any travel plans at that time, you might reconsider.  It's crazy hard getting anywhere during Golden Week, even the tollroads get clogged.  And then when you arrive, everything's closed cuz all the vendors are on their own Golden Week holiday.  It's not a good time for vacation in Japan.

I have been wondering about driving to and from work during this time...how will that be?

I forgot the dates - thanks for the heads up! Gonna be busy! I think I'll stay home and do my spring cleaning some of those days lol

Posted By Jennybean on 04-20-2012 5:35 PM
I have been wondering about driving to and from work during this time...how will that be?

I would think driving to work will be easier than normal since many Japanese have the week off, esp on base.  It's the long-haul routes that will be congested.

If you're like me and live near a beach and amusement park, Golden Week is hell.

It'll take forever to drive home in the afternoon. Might have to commute by train for the week instead.

Well Zushi is near a beach...I could always take the train that week too. It wouldn't be difficult at all.

Well Zushi is near a beach...I could always take the train that week too. It wouldn't be difficult at all.

Never heard of that one before, it's a good thing I went to the Golden Palace last week and not during Golden Week.

Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク Gōruden Wīku?), often abbreviated to simply GW and also known as Ōgon shūkan (黄金週間?, "Golden Week") or Ōgata renkyū (大型連休?, "Large consecutive holiday") is a Japanese term applied to the period containing the following public holidays:

April 29
Emperor's Birthday (天皇誕生日 Tennō tanjōbi?), until 1988
Greenery Day (みどりの日 Midori no nichi?), from 1989 until 2006
Shōwa Day (昭和の日 Shōwa no nichi?), from 2007
May 3
Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日 Kenpō kinenbi?)
May 4
Holiday† (国民の休日 Kokumin no kyūjitsu?), from 1985 until 2006
Greenery Day (みどりの日 Midori no hi?), from 2007
May 5
Children's Day (こどもの日 Kodomo no hi?), also customarily known as Boys' Day (端午の節句 Tango no sekku?).

Travel Advisory for Japan’s Golden Week Celebration –

Japan’s Golden Week celebration begins April 28 and ends May 6. Tradionally, the majority of Japanese employees take vacation during this period and Government of Japan (GOJ) offices are closed.

U.S. Embassy Tokyo is closed April 30 and May 3 and 4. It is very difficult to conduct business in Japan during the Golden Week holiday period.

Second only to the Japanese New Year holiday period, Golden Week is one of the busiest and most congested travel periods in Japan.

The U.S. Defense Attaché Office Tokyo advises Department of Defense (DoD) personnel to defer official travel to Japan during Golden Week to ensure availability of hotels, transportation and access to GOJ officials.

Furthermore, it is also recommended that DoD members and their families located in Japan take extra caution when traveling on roads and trainsduring this holiday period.