Match winter–spring travel to holidays and make-up workdays

A joint report by Online Resort × Enjourney
Editorial update: 9 November 2026 JST | Forward travel window: December 2026–May 2027

Statistical periods, release stages and the scope of rules and calendars are stated below. Japanese event and sales times are JST; origin-market holidays use the local calendar.

Changes in arrivals and changes in the spending of people who actually travelled need to be read separately. This edition examines shopping, accommodation, food and previous visits, then introduces winter-to-spring options in Japan. The 2027 national holiday arrangement issued on 5 November, including make-up workdays, is now compared with school calendars and individual leave, while retaining visa-purpose and application-route conditions.

Booking dates to put on the calendar now

• For the December Chichibu festival, these B-seat application windows have closed. The association’s counter-sale period for 3 December B seats was 31 October–3 November, and postcard applications required a 19–22 October postmark. Both are past as of 4 November. This does not mean the festival or every other viewing option is closed; it means these particular routes should no longer be offered as open for application. Chichibu Tourism Association

• For April’s Miyako Odori, connect the itinerary to the 6 January, 10:00 JST scheduled ticket release. Performances run from 1–30 April 2027. Identify the desired date and performance, then verify ticket types and booking conditions. Gion Kobu Kabukai

December 2026–May 2027 | Travel and booking dates

Base calendar checked on 4 November 2026, with additions on 5 November and targeted updates on 9 November. Record-level check dates are retained. Japanese event and ticket-sale times are JST; origin-market holidays use local calendar dates.

Published Japanese events can now be compared with mainland China's official holiday arrangement. The State Council notice dated 5 November confirms holidays on 1–3 January, 5–13 February, 3–5 April and 1–5 May 2027. Make-up workdays fall on 31 January, 14 February and 8 May. Match return dates to the traveller’s employer, school and actual leave. Official government publication of the notice The notice establishes the holiday arrangement, not every person's travel period or demand for Japan.

For a 1–5 May Labour-holiday itinerary, distinguish the sumo tournament starting on 9 May from an event already running, such as GREEN×EXPO. Reserve admission and transport separately, checking actual services, prices and availability during Japan’s holiday period. This is an editorial option based on calendar overlap, not measured booking demand. EXPO tickets

Three choices where the timing matters

Chichibu Night Festival has published dates for this year. The eve and main festival fall on different days, so the experience depends on which day the visit covers. Consult Chichibu City’s current-year notice for viewing seats and traffic arrangements before settling the itinerary.

The Nagasaki organiser plans the Lantern Festival for 5–21 February. That date announcement does not specify the schedule or admission terms for each activity. The published festival period overlaps the State Council’s Spring Festival holiday on 5–13 February. That overlap does not establish attendance, available places or individual leave; also check the 14 February make-up workday and the date of arrival back home.

Spring offers two quite different planning decisions. GREEN×EXPO 2027 runs from 19 March to 26 September. Early-bird sales for a one-day ticket end on 18 March, and entry requires a reservation for the visit date and time. Shuttle buses and parking have separate reservation conditions. For Miyako Odori, the April performance period and the 6 January ticket-release time are published; check the performance time and whether the selected ticket includes tea.

The next issue will check revisions to the confirmed annual arrangement, employer and school conditions, Nagasaki’s detailed programme, and spring transport and admission conditions. An unconfirmed cherry-blossom peak is not a guaranteed travel date.

Winter school breaks differ by city and school stage

For family itineraries, match the departure city and the child's school stage. Shanghai's municipal school calendar sets the winter break for its covered primary and secondary schools at 23 January–21 February 2027. Beijing's calendar sets 18 January–21 February for compulsory education and 25 January–21 February for the non-compulsory stages covered by its ordinary primary/secondary and secondary vocational school calendar. The new term begins on 22 February in each case. These dates do not establish a nationwide school holiday, university calendar or parents' leave entitlement. Confirm the traveller's actual school and parents' leave before fixing travel dates. Compare the now-confirmed national holiday arrangement separately with these school calendars. Shanghai education authority Beijing municipal school calendar

Booking GREEN×EXPO for a group itinerary

Early-bird one-day tickets went on sale on 19 March 2026, with sales ending on 18 March 2027. Admission date/time reservations and shuttle or parking bookings are separate. Coaches need advance bookings for the north or west parking areas; do not arrange roadside drop-off or pick-up around the venue. Direct buses from Haneda Airport and other hubs remain in planning. Treat them as unconfirmed transport until timetables, fares and booking methods are published. Organiser’s sales announcement Official tickets Access information

General groups require at least 15 visitors entering together, excluding the escort. The general-group discount ticket requires at least 15 users of that ticket type. The full-reservation deadline is 10 days before the day preceding the visit for general groups, or 30 days for school groups. Confirmation by linking ticket IDs must be completed four days before the visit. Website cancellation is unavailable after full-reservation approval; confirmed general-group bookings cannot be changed, cancelled or refunded. School groups have a limited exception for unavoidable reductions in pupil numbers. Check the headcount and each deadline with the authorised seller. Group-booking FAQ

Kyoto experiences with specific dates and booking conditions

Fukujuen Kyoto’s tea-making experience and tea-inspired French lunch are listed for 3, 10 and 17 December 2026, and 7, 14, 21 and 28 January 2027, from 11:15 to around 14:00. Each session has six places, with a booking cut-off four days in advance. Booking is online only, with advance card payment; telephone reservations are not accepted. These are separate session dates, not a continuous season. Confirm dietary accommodation, the guiding language, interpreter accompaniment and remaining places with the provider. Kyoto’s official tourism site: Fukujuen

Daikakuji’s special Shoshinden visit and sutra-copying experience at Teikokan are listed for 20 and 27 February 2027, 10:00–12:00. Each session is limited to 24 participants and requires booking at least five days in advance. Choose this religious-cultural experience according to the participants’ interests and wishes, and confirm the guiding language, interpreter accompaniment and availability. These two listings do not verify the full cultural-property opening programme for the 61st Kyoto Winter Journey. Kyoto’s official tourism site: Daikakuji

Plan the return train from the Chichibu Night Festival

Seibu has announced extra limited-express and local services on 3 December 2026, including direct local trains to Ikebukuro and Tokorozawa after 21:00. Published limited-express examples depart Seibu-Chichibu at 22:24 for Ikebukuro, arriving at 23:44, and at 23:04 for Tokorozawa, arriving at 00:07 on 4 December. The latter does not continue to Ikebukuro. These are examples, not a statement of the last service across every transport option. Search using 3 December and check the connection to the accommodation. Seibu limited-express timetable Special timetable and journey search

Limited-express tickets for 2 and 3 December went on sale on 2 and 3 November respectively. These trains are all-reserved and require a limited-express ticket in addition to the base fare; remaining seats were not checked. On 9 November, the city page still marked road restrictions, temporary parking, float routes and fireworks details as awaiting updates. Treat the verified rail arrangements separately from those pending details. Ticket-sale conditions Chichibu City notice

Market evidence | Arrivals, expenditure and reference periods

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) estimates 430,800 visitor arrivals in the China nationality/region row in September 2026, down 44.5% from September 2025. Its January–September estimate is 3,335,500, down 55.5% year on year. The arrivals series covers more than leisure travel and is not a count of distinct individuals. It does not add the Hong Kong and Taiwan rows to the mainland China row. JNTO nationality and region table.

The Japan Tourism Agency's first preliminary estimate for July–September 2026 tells a related but different story. Inbound travel expenditure attributed to China was ¥358.3 billion, down 39.8% from the same quarter a year earlier. Within that quarter, the estimated number of general visitors excluding cruise passengers was 1.211 million, down 49.8%; estimated spending per such visitor was ¥294,560, up 22.1%. A higher per-person average can coexist with sharply fewer visitors. These numbers do not identify whether prices, duration, travel purpose or some combination explains the change. Japan Tourism Agency quarterly tables.

Dividing quarterly expenditure by September arrivals would produce a misleading “September spending per visitor.” The expenditure figure includes a wider quarterly period, while the per-person figure has its own general-visitor denominator. First estimates can also be revised. Keeping the periods separate makes the new quarterly result more informative.

Spending allocation and traveller profile

Statistics rechecked on 4 November 2026. The source is the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) July–September 2026 first preliminary survey. This entry covers general visitors classified under the China nationality/region category, travelling for tourism and leisure; the survey-defined cruise category is excluded. It does not count departures from that country or region or November bookings. Spending is nominal JPY per person per trip and includes estimated domestic-Japan spending within package-tour payments. International passenger fares paid to Japanese airlines and shipping companies are excluded. JTA 2026 workbook

Compare spending and stays within the same trip-purpose group

Tourism/leisure spending was JPY 273,843, +27.0% year on year (the published JTA rate), with an average stay of 6.7 nights. The unweighted respondent counts were 1201 in 2025 and 932 in 2026. Mean nights include same-day, zero-night visits. 2025 final workbook 2026 first-preliminary workbook JTA summary

For all trip purposes, including business and visiting relatives, the 2026 estimate was JPY 294,560, +22.1% year on year, and 12.8 nights on average. This is a different respondent group; its mean is not an individual leisure traveller’s budget. JTA summary

Six spending categories: the two comparable quarters

The total year-on-year percentage is published by JTA. Category changes are editorial calculations from the two workbooks, not a published category-growth series; 2026 shares are published workbook values. Changes were calculated before rounding, so subtracting the two displayed yen amounts can differ from the displayed change by about one yen. Rounded rows may also differ from the rounded total by a few yen. These nominal comparisons do not isolate inflation, exchange rates, stay length or traveller composition. 2025 workbook 2026 workbook

Selected purchases, with their respondent counts

The purchase rate is a weighted share. The purchaser count is unweighted; dividing it by the market sample does not reproduce the rate. The conditional mean is spending among purchasers, not the price of one product or willingness to pay. These purchase measures concern spending during the Japan visit and differ from the package-inclusive six-category figures above. Mean purchaser spending is withheld below 30 purchasers; * marks 30–99 purchasers. This is an editorial caution, not an official significance test. JTA Reference Table 5

Traveller composition

These are separate questions; do not multiply the rates into an unreported joint group. The website-application item in questionnaire E3 concerns tour products or international return air/sea tickets, not all hotel and activity bookings. “Individually arranged” does not mean every component was booked directly by the traveller. JTA Reference Table 4 Questionnaire E3

Planning implication (editorial proposal): Read the decrease in total market spending separately from the higher average spending of general visitors who actually arrived. A large shopping allocation does not make every traveller shopping-led. For a regional extension, fit transfers, luggage and departure/refund arrangements around the traveller's city plans and existing reservations.

Historical context for visit frequency and destinations

In the JTA visit-frequency analysis based on final 2024 data, about six in ten visitors on their sixth or later trip visited only the three major metropolitan areas. This is not a 2026 Q3 regional-visit rate. JTA analysis based on final 2024 data, printed p.5

Timing: July–September 2025 is final; the same quarter in 2026 is first preliminary and subject to revision. Any 2024 regional analysis above is historical context, not evidence of Q3 2026 or November behaviour. Statistics rechecked on 4 November 2026.

Foreign guest-nights in August 2026: top five prefectures

Second preliminary release, published 30 October. Classification is by nationality/origin, covering establishments with 20 or more rooms. The national total for this market is 1,669,040 guest-nights.

Shares use the same market, month and facility scope and are rounded to one decimal. ＊ marks an estimated standard error rate of at least 30%. Guest-nights are not unique people, rooms, November bookings or available inventory. Rounding can prevent prefecture sums from matching the national total. The stratification basis changed in January 2026. JTA source, Reference Table 1 (August) · Release

When paid tours and activities were booked

Among China respondents, 26.8% reported booking paid tours or activities before departure (n=1,125). This paid-activity question does not measure interest in free experiences. When offering Kansai products, explain the inclusions, duration, operating language and why a reservation is required.

Source: Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau’s FY2025 Kansai Airport exit survey, published May 2026. Four waves covered May, August–September and November–December 2025, and February–March 2026 at Terminal 1 international departures. The full sample was 4,381 departing foreign travellers, excluding transit; it included all trip purposes, not only leisure. Respondents selected one booking-stage category for paid tours/activities during their Japan trip. Each nationality’s full respondent base includes non-participants. Results were adjusted by nationality, not by age or sex. They are not nationally representative, do not isolate experiences located in Kansai, and do not measure days before departure or JTA’s package/international-ticket application channel. OCTB final report, printed pp.2, 10, 12–13, 58–59

The suggested Kansai product presentation is an editorial application of this limited observation, not a demonstrated national preference or sales effect.

Interests and individual requirements

JNTO’s 2026 market strategy proposes combining regional food and nature with tea ceremony, seasonal events and anime for a target segment of repeat visitors in their 20s–40s travelling as couples or partners. For a separate segment of returning families with children, it highlights hot springs, museums and aquariums together with practical transport information. These are strategic segments, not preferences of everyone from China. JNTO segment strategy Ask whether the traveller has visited Japan before, the ages of accompanying children, the desired activities and the regional transport needed. For meals, ask the person about local dishes they want to try and any ingredients, allergies or other restrictions; convey requests early and check meal times and the property’s actual ability to accommodate them. Japan Tourism Agency ryokan Q&A For a regional cultural activity, verify its date, duration and explanation language with the provider. For a family activity such as an aquarium, check age conditions and journey time. Let the travellers rank their priorities rather than combining both target segments into one itinerary.

Entry procedures and eligibility

The Embassy of Japan in China explains group and individual sightseeing visas for Chinese nationals as generally short-stay tourism routes. The same page identifies exceptions for some multiple-entry categories that permit other short-stay purposes from the first or a later visit. Business and family visits require checking the precise visa category and documents. The applicant applies through a travel agency designated by the Japanese mission with jurisdiction over their residence; that agency submits the application and receives the visa on the applicant’s behalf. Applicants do not submit or collect this tourist-visa application directly at the mission. Booking arrangements vary by visa category, so check the agency and mission’s current instructions. A visa, if issued, is not a promise of admission or that a particular trip can proceed. Readers should follow the relevant mission's current instructions, rather than treating every visitor counted by JNTO as a sightseeing-visa holder. The Beijing embassy’s designated-agency list covers its own consular jurisdiction; residents elsewhere should consult the mission responsible for their area.

Shopping from November | The payment and refund sequence

Eligible tax-free sales moved to the refund method for purchases made from 1 November 2026. An eligible purchaser pays the tax-inclusive price at an authorised tax-free shop, obtains customs confirmation on departure within 90 days counted from the day after purchase, and then receives the consumption-tax equivalent from the retailer or its refund provider. The purchase date determines the changeover, not the date of entry. The usual threshold is at least JPY 5,000 excluding tax in eligible purchases by the same person at the same shop on the same day, subject to the applicable rules. Nationality alone does not establish purchaser eligibility. National Tax Agency, rules as at 1 November 2026

Goods consumed during the trip and goods carried out of Japan need careful handling. Customs checks operate at purchase-record level, normally corresponding to one sale or receipt. If any eligible item in that record is missing at the check, the other items in the same record cannot receive confirmation either. The shop can explain how the purchases are recorded. National Tax Agency, refund-method explanation

Complete the process before checking in the goods as baggage. For a domestic-to-international connection, customs confirmation takes place at the final airport of departure from Japan. Check baggage collection and re-checking arrangements with the airline and allow for a possible inspection. The official guidance does not allow checked baggage to be retrieved simply to complete the tax-free process. Japan Tourism Agency, traveller guidance

At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha, the Visit Japan Web online procedure is available within designated international-departure lobby areas connected to the dedicated wireless network. This online route is limited to people with Temporary Visitor, Diplomat or Official status of residence; Japanese nationals cannot use it. Tax-free purchasing eligibility and eligibility for this online route are different conditions. A request for inspection still requires attendance at customs, and completion of the customs procedure does not mean the refund has arrived. Japan Tourism Agency, eligibility and location National Tax Agency, online-procedure FAQ

Refund methods, timing and contact details depend on the shop or refund provider. Budget for the tax-inclusive payment separately from the expected refund. July–September spending predates the new system and cannot demonstrate its effect on shopping. National Tax Agency, sales and refund procedure

If a purchase record is wrong or missing. Contact the shop about incorrect details. A missing record may still be awaiting transmission by the shop; allow some time or ask the shop to check. National Tax Agency FAQ Q3-3/Q3-4 As a practical recommendation, travel companies can retain the shop and refund provider's contact details in the traveller's documents.

What the next edition will update

The December edition will move the travel window to January–June 2027. It will recheck the overlapping January–May dates, sales conditions and holiday eligibility, add June, and identify the reference period and release stage of any new statistics. Newly verified dates, changed conditions and closed applications will be distinguished in the update record.

Release availability checked on 9 November. October arrival estimates are scheduled for 18 November at 16:15 JST, and the second preliminary July–September inbound-spending release for 24 December. Check the actual released tables, including whether a separate market category is present, before updating. Planned release dates are not already-published results. JNTO schedule JTA schedule

September first-preliminary accommodation totals are already available, but this report’s nationality-by-prefecture comparison uses August second-preliminary figures for establishments with at least 20 guest rooms. September second-preliminary results are scheduled for 30 November. JTA / 観光庁・宿泊統計 公表予定 / Release schedule