When Is Silver Week 2026? 5 Days Off from Sep 19 to 23
Answer
Silver Week 2026 runs Sat, Sep 19 – Wed, Sep 23, 2026 (5 days off)
Tue, Sep 22, between Respect for the Aged Day (Mon, Sep 21) and Autumnal Equinox Day (Wed, Sep 23), becomes a Citizens' Holiday and joins up with the weekend before.
Why Silver Week 2026 is a 5-day break
Silver Week is the popular name for a long break that appears only in years when Respect for the Aged Day and Autumnal Equinox Day in September line up. In 2026 the following 3 conditions are met, giving a 5-day break from Saturday to Wednesday.
- Respect for the Aged Day falls on Mon, Sep 21. Since the Happy Monday System was applied to it in 2003, it is the third Monday of September, so it always makes a 3-day weekend.
- Autumnal Equinox Day falls on Wed, Sep 23. It is set each year by astronomical calculation, and in many years it falls on Sep 22 or 23.
- Tue, Sep 22, sandwiched between them, becomes a Citizens' Holiday. Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the Act on National Holidays makes a weekday a day off when both the day before and the day after are national holidays.
| Date | Why it is a day off |
|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 19, 2026 | Saturday |
| Sun, Sep 20, 2026 | Sunday |
| Mon, Sep 21, 2026 | Respect for the Aged Day (third Monday of September) |
| Tue, Sep 22, 2026 | Citizens' Holiday (Act on National Holidays, Article 3, Paragraph 3) |
| Wed, Sep 23, 2026 | Autumnal Equinox Day |
The 2026 holidays are transcribed from the confirmed data published by the Cabinet Office (law-based dates from the official ephemeris in the Official Gazette). Unless the law is permanently amended, these dates are fixed.
How many days off with paid leave? (9-day plan)
After Silver Week 2026 there are only 2 weekdays, Thu, Sep 24 and Fri, Sep 25, before the next weekend. Taking leave on them joins up with that weekend (Sep 26 and 27), so 2 days of leave give 9 days off from Sep 19 to Sep 27.
Leave days: Thu, Sep 24, 2026, Fri, Sep 25, 2026
Leave days: Fri, Sep 18, 2026
With 1 day of leave, the longest plan is to start early: take Fri, Sep 18, the day before the break, for Fri, Sep 18 – Wed, Sep 23, 2026 (6 days off). Traffic and fare peaks tend to fall on the first day of a break, so starting on Friday also helps spread out travel. For other numbers of days, the Paid Leave Bridge Planner lets you try every combination from 1 to 5 days of leave.
Is there a Silver Week in 2027? (No 5-day break)
There is no 5-day Silver Week in 2027. In 2027 Respect for the Aged Day is Mon, Sep 20 and Autumnal Equinox Day is Thu, Sep 23, with 2 weekdays, Tue, Sep 21 and Wed, Sep 22, in between. A Citizens' Holiday only arises on a day whose day before and day after are both national holidays, that is, when just 1 day lies between them, so the 2-day gap in 2027 does not join up.
The September 2027 breaks are Sat, Sep 18 – Mon, Sep 20, 2027 (3 days off), and Autumnal Equinox Day on Thu, Sep 23 is a stand-alone holiday. Taking 2 days of leave on Tue, Sep 21 and Wed, Sep 22 gives Sat, Sep 18 – Thu, Sep 23, 2027 (6 days off).
See the September calendar and the breaks that 1 day of leave can extend on the pages for September 2026 and September 2027.
Whether Silver Week happens is mostly decided by whether Autumnal Equinox Day falls on a Wednesday and the Monday 2 days before is Respect for the Aged Day (the third Monday). Autumnal Equinox Day shifts each year with the Earth's orbit, and its official date is fixed in the Official Gazette (official ephemeris) in February of the year before. The holiday data on this page is also updated each year from the CSV published by the Cabinet Office.
FAQ
When is Silver Week 2026?
It is a 5-day break from Saturday, September 19 to Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Monday, September 21 is Respect for the Aged Day and Wednesday, September 23 is Autumnal Equinox Day, and Tuesday, September 22 in between becomes a Citizens' Holiday under the Act on National Holidays, so it joins the weekend before into 5 days off.
How many days of paid leave turn Silver Week 2026 into 9 days off?
2 days of leave give 9 days off. Taking leave on Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25, right after the break, joins up with the next weekend (September 26 and 27), making 9 days off from Saturday, September 19 to Sunday, September 27.
Is there a Silver Week in 2027?
There is no 5-day Silver Week in 2027. In 2027 Respect for the Aged Day is Monday, September 20 and Autumnal Equinox Day is Thursday, September 23, with 2 weekdays (September 21 and 22) in between, so no Citizens' Holiday arises. The September break is the 3 days from Saturday, September 18 to Monday, September 20, and 2 days of leave on September 21 and 22 make it 6 days off, from September 18 to 23.
Why is September 22, 2026 a day off even though it is not a national holiday?
Under Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the Act on National Holidays, a weekday whose day before (Sep 21, Respect for the Aged Day) and day after (Sep 23, Autumnal Equinox Day) are both national holidays becomes a day off as a Citizens' Holiday. The Cabinet Office data also lists September 22, 2026 as a holiday.
Once your break plans are set
To set dates for a trip or a get-together, use PickDay. Pick candidate dates and share the URL to see everyone's availability in one list.
Source and notes
- Holiday data source: Cabinet Office of Japan, National Holidays (retrieved 2026-08-02)
- Public holidays may change by law amendments or Cabinet decisions. Check the Cabinet Office page for the latest information.
- Breaks count only weekends and national holidays, not company-specific days off (summer leave, for example).
- Leave dates need to be agreed with your workplace. This page only suggests options and does not guarantee you can take them.