How much should I fear golden week in Japan?
I am planning a vacation to Japan, and currently have two possible plans. In plan A I leave well before Golden week (on 4/24). In plan B I leave during the first weekend of golden week (4/28, on Saturday night).
In terms of itinerary, I prefer plan B, but I'm wondering if being in Tokyo during the first Friday and Saturday of the nationwide vacation week is going to be a horror show. Will the city be unenjoyable for those days? Should I expect that the airport on Saturday night will be a complete mess, and my flight home will be packed?
The question boils down to this: During the Friday and Saturday before Golden Week, will Tokyo be so crazy that I should reschedule my vacation around it, or is it still bearable, if more crowded than usual?
There's no empirically right answer to this obviously; I just want to hear your opinion and your experiences.
Best Answer
My experience with public holidays in Japan is that traveling via the roads is a disaster. If you are not driving or taking a bus it should be busy but tolerable, else expect to be moving at a few kilometers an hour-even on the more popular country side roads outside of Tokyo. Getting a car park is also near impossible.
Accommodation is also very difficult to find if you haven't booked a reasonable period in advance.
Pictures about "How much should I fear golden week in Japan?"
Why You Should AVOID Traveling Japan During Golden Week
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Olya Kobruseva, Miguel Á. Padriñán, Miguel Á. Padriñán, Anete Lusina