PSA: Golden Week 2023 Starts Next Week

Golden Week is one of several national holidays in Japan, and what makes this one so special is that is spans a significant amount of time. During Golden Week, most businesses are on holiday, which explains why news from outlets or information from Japanese developers enter something of a lull during this period. This week long holiday will span from April 29, 2023 to May 5, 2023. The reason for this extended holiday is that a handful of holidays take place during this window of time.

What are the Golden Week holidays in Japan?

• Showa Day – April 29, 2023
• Constitution Memorial Day – May 3, 2023
• Greenery Day – May 4, 2023
• Children’s Day – May 5, 2023

While some businesses are outright closed during this period, those living in Japan oftentimes take this period of work off as well. Additionally, developers will hold sales during this period. For example, Square Enix held a sale for its Kingdom Hearts series, along with Final Fantasy VII Remake at a discount. Even publishers and developers such as Microsoft have begun to hold Golden Week sales within the Japanese region. Though, these largely include games made by Japanese developers, such as Bandai Namco.

This means that there could be additional sales once Golden Week appears. Those with Japanese PlayStation Network, Nintendo, or Microsoft accounts could make use of this to obtain games at a significantly cheaper price.

Golden Week in Japan will take place from April 29, 2023 to May 5, 2023.