Word of the Month: May

May: ピークシーズン
Pīkushīzun

“Pīkushīzun” ピークシーズン is a Japanese phrase meaning peak season – or the busy times of travel in Japan. This month, we will tell you some of the busiest times to travel in Japan and why. One of the busiest times to travel in Japan is during Golden Week. Golden week takes place during the first week of May, or the first couple of days in May, and is one of the worst times to travel in Japan because it consists of a number of official holidays – like Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day.

Constitution Memorial Day, or “Kenpō Kinenbi” 憲法記念日, is a national holiday that takes place on May 3^rd to celebrate the 1947 constitution’s final approval in Japan; Greenery Day, or “Midori no Hi” みどりの日, is a holiday on May 4^th that brings awareness to nature and promotes the idea of being thankful for it and other blessings; and Children’s Day, or “Kodomo no Hi” こどもの日, is a national holiday that takes place on May 5^th – the final day of Golden Week – and celebrates the happiness of children and their unique personalities.

Another one of the busiest times to travel in Japan is during the festival of “Obon” お盆 – a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one’s ancestors. There are three different times of Obon in Japan: “Shichigatsu Bon” (Bon in July) that is around the 15^th of July, “Hatchigatsu Bon” (Bon in August) that is celebrated around the 15^th of August, and "Kyū Bon" (Old Bon) that takes place on the 15^th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. This three-day holiday is not listed as a public one, but people are still generally given leave.

Source(s):

“Obon.” Japan-Guide, www.japan-guide.com/e/e2286.html.

“Golden Week.” Japan-Guide, www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html.