First trip, 30th April - 8th May
 

Hi, I recently booked my first trip to Tokyo(Shinjuku) starting the 30th April. Since the booking I have found this is whats known as Golden Week, a national public holiday.

Is it a bad idea going on the dates I have booked, or should I try and move it? Are shops still open and tourist locations. The missus wants to see the landscape(me too) but I also want to hit up the tech areas and get a few new gadgets. Would this still be possible?

We will be staying in the Shinjuku Washington Hotel, which Im told is small, but thats fine as its only somewhere to sleep. Is it easy to travel around from this area?

Thanks in advance, Philip

Acutally, that is THE WEEK that you want to be in Japan, its true that it will be really really BUSY, but you get to see another side of the culture.. you will have a blast

If you are planning on doiung touristy stuff, just know that is the week that many Japanese becomes tourists, too, so everywhere will be more packed than usual.

Like godwine said, there will be a whole other side of Japan to see, but my instincts (expecially if this is your first trip) would be to reconsider the dates.

Thanks for the replies. I would like to see the different-than-usual side of japan due to holidays etc, and dont mind it being too busy as long as its not unbearable. Im a pretty tolerant person.

Do places/shops still open during the holidays, as over here in the UK, a bank holiday means everything shuts down...really, everything!

If the shops dont open, I may see if I can slide the holiday over a few days to catch some of golden week and some of normal working week.

Ta

Hmm, MMM best answer that, I was a kid when I was living in Japan (I was 7), and I really have little to no memory of golden week, from what I remember, SOME (not all) stores are open, and I THINK there is like a day or 2 where everything is close

If you are yo move it to overlap part of golden week, I will try to do it towards the last 3 days of the week, just a personal preference, its still golden week, but things are starting to die down, so you get to see it when its not as busy....

Well, called up the company(expedia) and they do not allow any changes to be made once booked. Ah well, Golden week, here I come. Are the main shopping centers likely to be open?

Thanks

These days everything is pretty much open. Shopping malls and the like should surely be open, but mom and pop shops might close so they can visit relatives.

Hi, thanks for the helpful replies.

Still learning Japanese, so its all English for now,

Thank You.