If you're using the Christmas to New Year stretch for a first trip to Japan, the dates look ideal. New Year's Eve is a Thursday, New Year's Day a Friday, and most offices there reopen on Monday, January 4. The catch is that this is the one week Japan itself takes off.
What closes. Government offices close from December 29 to January 3, and banks from December 31 to January 3. Many museums shut for a few days around the turn of the year, each on its own dates. Independent restaurants and small izakaya often close for two days to a week somewhere between December 30 and January 4, and map apps often don't show it. Convenience stores, big chains and hotel restaurants mostly stay open.
What gets busier. Shrines have their biggest week, onsen towns fill up, and trains leaving the big cities peak around December 29 to 31, with the return rush around January 2 to 4.
The questions worth asking first. Which places on my list are actually open on my dates? Is my Kyoto day trip on a peak travel day? Have I left enough time for the visa? Indian residents apply through VFS, applications open three months before travel, and processing takes at least five working days, often longer.
Where SearchSpot fits. Tell it your dates and what you want from the trip. It asks questions like these before it compares flights and stays, so you don't build a day around a restaurant that's shut. There's a human team behind the AI, and it puts you before commissions, looking for the best value wherever and whenever it's found.
If you want it to check your Japan New Year plan before you book: searchspot.ai/get-app
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