This article is based on official information from railway companies, banks, and facilities, and on Japanese law, as of October 24, 2026. Where nothing has been announced yet for 2026-27, we say what happened last year. We’ll update this page once the announcements come out.
On New Year’s Eve, temple bells ring across Japan. At Chion-in in Kyoto, from 10:20 p.m. on December 31, 2026, 17 monks pull on a rope to strike the great bell. Once the new year begins, people head out to shrines and temples for their first visit of the year (hatsumode), and railway companies add late-night trains and extra trains for January 1–3 (based on last year).
Over these few days, people in Japan go on holiday too. National government offices, bank counters, and some museums and castles close. But not everything shuts down.
The answer first — not everything closes. Just watch out for 3 things
What closes: national government offices (December 29–January 3), bank counters (December 31–January 3), some museums, galleries, and castles (a few days, varying by place), and department stores (New Year’s Day; some also on January 2. So far, Takashimaya is the only one whose 2027 schedule we could confirm. Hankyu Hanshin, Daimaru Matsuzakaya, and Seibu Sogo were also closed on New Year’s Day last year).
What keeps running: trains (on holiday timetables), Seven Bank ATMs in convenience stores, Tokyo Disney Resort (9 a.m.–9 p.m. on both December 31 and New Year’s Day), and Tokyo Skytree.
There are just 3 things to watch out for.
- On New Year’s Eve, some lines keep running after the last train, and others stop. Six JR lines in Tokyo run extra trains after the last regular train (announced for 2026-27; on the Yamanote Line, until about 4:50 a.m.). Last year, the subways — Tokyo’s Toei Subway and the subways in Osaka and Kyoto — stopped after their last trains.
- From December 25 to January 5, Nozomi shinkansen trains have no non-reserved seats. Every Nozomi between Tokyo and Hakata is reserved-seat only.
- Some things need to be booked in November. General sales of USJ’s New Year’s Eve countdown tickets open on the evening of November 4 (presales have already started), and Tokyo Skytree’s first-sunrise opening is a lottery from November 5 to 26. → New Year in Japan 2026-27: What to Book in November
The 2026-27 calendar — New Year’s Day is a Friday
New Year’s Day 2027 (January 1) falls on a Friday. That means bank counters are closed four days in a row, from December 31 (Thu) to January 3 (Sun). Bank holidays are fixed by law (the Order for Enforcement of the Banking Act) as December 31 to January 3. Counters are open December 28 (Mon) to 30 (Wed), and again from January 4 (Mon).
National government offices are closed from December 29 (Tue) to January 3 (Sun) (under the Act on Holidays of Administrative Organs). Travelers rarely need a government office, but it’s handy to know they reopen on January 4 (Mon).
Day by day — December 25 to January 5
The left column shows what’s closed or stopped; the right column shows what’s open, what’s running, and what’s good to know. Entries marked ★ show last year’s situation, because nothing has been announced for 2026-27 yet.
| Date | Closed / stopped | Open / running / good to know |
|---|---|---|
| December 25 (Fri) | No more non-reserved seats on the Nozomi (until January 5). The Hida and Shinano limited express trains from Nagoya to Takayama, Matsumoto, and Nagano are also reserved-seat only (until January 5) | |
| December 26 (Sat) | Tokyo National Museum (Ueno) closed (until the 31st). The inside of Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle (Kyoto) can’t be visited (until the 28th) | Disney: both parks open 9 a.m.–9 p.m. (same through January 2). Skytree: 9 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| December 27 (Sun) | ★Last year, this was the peak day for outbound shinkansen reservations (from Tokyo heading west) | |
| December 28 (Mon) | Kyoto National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art (Ueno) closed (until January 1). Tours of the Kyoto Imperial Palace and the Imperial Palace (Tokyo) suspended (until January 4) | Last 3 days that bank counters are open (through the 30th) |
| December 29 (Tue) | Nijo Castle closed (until the 31st). National government offices closed (until January 3) | Comiket 109 (through the 31st, in Ariake, Tokyo) |
| December 30 (Wed) | JR East runs on holiday timetables through January 3 | |
| December 31 (Thu) New Year’s Eve | Bank counters closed (until January 3). With a regular admission ticket, you can only stay at USJ until 5 p.m. (the park closes 5–7 p.m.) | Disney open until 9 p.m. (no overnight New Year’s opening). At night: USJ’s New Year’s countdown (from 7 p.m., special ticket required) and the New Year’s Eve bell at Chion-in (from 10:20 p.m.; ★last year, you had to apply in advance, and same-day applications weren’t accepted). Six JR lines in Tokyo run extra trains after the last train |
| January 1 (Fri) New Year’s Day | Most Takashimaya stores closed. ★Hankyu Hanshin, Daimaru Matsuzakaya, and Seibu Sogo were also closed on New Year’s Day last year. The inside of Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle can’t be visited (until the 3rd) | Tokyo National Museum open noon–8 p.m. Skytree: special first-sunrise opening (from 5:30 a.m., lottery winners only), then regular hours from 8 a.m. |
| January 2 (Sat) | Most Takashimaya stores closed. ★Hankyu Umeda Main Store, Hanshin Umeda Main Store, and others also closed, under a policy in place since 2025 | ★Last year, the New Year public greeting was held at the Imperial Palace (January 2) |
| January 3 (Sun) | ★Last year, this was the peak day for inbound shinkansen reservations (from the west back to Tokyo) | |
| January 4 (Mon) | Bank counters and government offices reopen. Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle can be visited (counting from the rules, this is the only such day between December 26 and January 5) | |
| January 5 (Tue) | Last day of the New Year period when the Nozomi is reserved-seat only (it goes reserved-seat only again over the January 9–11 three-day weekend). Kyoto Imperial Palace tours resume (a date counted from the rules) |
What closes — museums and castles each keep their own schedule
Museums, galleries, and castles are the most confusing. Each one closes on different days.
- Tokyo National Museum (Ueno): closed December 26–31. Open on New Year’s Day from noon to 8 p.m.
- National Museum of Western Art (Ueno): closed December 28–January 1. ★From January 12, 2027, the permanent collection is scheduled to close for an extended period for construction work (until March 19).
- Kyoto National Museum: closed December 28–January 1.
- Nijo Castle (Kyoto): the whole castle is closed December 29–31. The inside of Ninomaru Palace also can’t be visited December 26–28 and January 1–3. Ninomaru Palace is also closed on Tuesdays in January.
- Tours of the Kyoto Imperial Palace and the Imperial Palace (Tokyo): suspended December 28–January 4.
- ★Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: in the winter of 2024-25, it was closed December 27–January 2. Nothing has been announced yet for 2026-27.
If you plan to visit museums in Ueno, skip December 26–January 1 and go on January 2 or later, when both the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art are open. But both are normally closed on Mondays, so they’re closed on January 4 (Mon). The Western Art museum’s permanent collection is open until January 11.
Department stores — mostly closed on New Year’s Day, and some on the 2nd too
Many of Japan’s big department stores close on New Year’s Day, and more and more companies are closing on January 2 as well.
- Takashimaya: most stores are closed on January 1 and 2, 2027 (including Nihonbashi, Shinjuku, Osaka, and Kyoto). For the Yokohama store, January 2 is “under consideration,” and Hakata Riverain Mall is open on the 2nd.
- Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores: starting with New Year 2025, the company decided to close stores such as Hankyu Umeda Main Store and Hanshin Umeda Main Store on January 1 and 2 (a company policy).
- ★Daimaru and Matsuzakaya: for 2025, 15 stores, including Daimaru Tokyo, Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Daimaru Kyoto, and Matsuzakaya Ueno, were set to close on January 1 and 2.
- ★Seibu and Sogo: in 2026, all 10 stores were closed on New Year’s Day and started their first sales of the year on January 2.
Seibu and Sogo closed on New Year’s Day in 2026 and started their hatsuuri (the first sale of the new year) on January 2. If you’re planning to shop on New Year’s Day, it’s safer to look somewhere other than a department store.
Money — bank counters close for 4 days, but ATMs keep running
Bank counters are closed December 31–January 3. However, ATMs for withdrawing cash keep running.
- Seven Bank ATMs (the ATMs in 7-Eleven stores and elsewhere): Seven Bank says its “ATMs operate as usual” over the New Year holidays. For cards issued overseas, Visa and Mastercard work 24 hours a day; UnionPay, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club can’t be used for about 10–20 minutes around midnight (for example, 11:50 p.m.–12:10 a.m. for UnionPay, JCB, and Discover). You can withdraw up to ¥100,000 per transaction (up to ¥30,000 when the card’s magnetic stripe is used).
- Japan Post Bank ATMs (the ATMs in post offices and elsewhere): with an overseas card, you can withdraw cash from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on December 31 and January 1–3. Up to ¥50,000 per transaction. American Express and Diners Club cards can’t be used. ★Last year, Japan Post Bank said that on January 1–4 only ATMs offering its “Holiday Service” were running, and that you might not be able to use one if the building it’s in was closed. Also, Japan Post Bank ATMs in post offices and elsewhere were stopped from 9 p.m. on December 31 until 7 a.m. on New Year’s Day (except for the small ATMs in FamilyMart stores and similar places).
If you plan to get cash from ATMs, the closed bank counters won’t cause you any trouble. Here’s how to withdraw: → How to Withdraw Cash (Yen) at a Convenience Store ATM in Japan / For how much to bring → How Much Cash Do You Need in Japan?
Trains — running, but on holiday timetables
Trains keep running over New Year. But for these few days, many companies run on their Saturday/holiday timetables. JR East uses holiday timetables from December 30 to January 3 (announced for 2026-27). Last year, the Toei Subway, the Osaka and Kyoto subways, Keio, Kintetsu, and others also ran Saturday/holiday timetables over the New Year period (the dates varied by company). Before you ride, look up the times for that particular day.
On the shinkansen, the big change is the Nozomi. From December 25 to January 5, every Nozomi between Tokyo and Hakata is reserved-seat only, and a non-reserved ticket won’t get you a seat. The Hikari and Kodama do have non-reserved seats, but JR Central itself says they are “very crowded every year.” On days when you want to sit while you travel, get a reserved seat. Reserved seats go on sale at 10 a.m. one month before your travel date (the same date in the previous month). → New Year in Japan 2026-27: What to Book in November
We’ll cover trains on New Year’s Eve night in a separate article. For six JR lines in Tokyo (the Yamanote Line, the Keihin-Tohoku/Negishi Line, the Chuo-Sobu Line local trains, the Chuo Line Rapid, the Yokosuka Line, and the Sobu Main Line/Narita Line), it has been announced that extra trains will run after the last train again for 2026-27. The Yamanote Line runs from 1 a.m. to about 4:50 a.m., roughly every 10–30 minutes. The other lines have fewer trains, sometimes with gaps of about two hours.
Where to stay — people in Japan travel at this time too
New Year is when people in Japan head home to their families or go traveling. Last year, reservations for JR Central’s shinkansen peaked on December 27 (outbound) and January 3 (inbound).
Once your dates are set, look at places to stay early, so you can decide while there’s still plenty to choose from. On the booking screen, check the final amount you’ll pay and the deadline for free cancellation.
Not sure which area to stay in? → Where to Stay in Tokyo on Your First Trip
See places to stay in Tokyo on Agoda (affiliate link)
See places to stay in Osaka on Agoda (affiliate link)
See places to stay in Kyoto on Agoda (affiliate link)
If something goes wrong — help lines that stay open over New Year
- The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) phone line for travelers: 050-3816-2787 (+81-50-3816-2787 from an overseas phone). 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English, Chinese, and Korean. For accidents, illness, and disasters, as well as tourist information.
- Tokyo’s “Himawari” (a phone service for finding a hospital in a foreign language): 03-5285-8181. Daily, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. (365 days a year), in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Spanish.
- For an ambulance or the fire department, call 119. For the police, call 110.
If you take medication regularly, bring it with you to Japan for peace of mind.
Summary
Not everything closes. What does close: national government offices and bank counters, individual facilities for a few days each, and department stores on New Year’s Day. Trains and ATMs keep running.
There are just 3 things to watch: getting back on New Year’s Eve night, the Nozomi from December 25 to January 5, and the November bookings. Get those right, and the few days when museums are closed become a few days to walk around town and see a Japanese New Year for yourself.
