Japan just after Golden Week

[Guest]

Hi Dibbers

We are going to Japan for 10 days in May landing on 5th into Osaka which I know is the day before Golden Week finishes. Are we likely to have any problems with public transport during these public holidays?

Secondly we arrive in Tokyo on Weds 9th May afternoon after taking the bullet train from Kyoto and we are there for 5 nights so have the Thursday to Sunday full days and we plan to have 2 days in Disney. I have heard that just after Golden Week it does quieten down but will this still be the case on the weekend after Golden Week? I am just thinking if we arrive into Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon it'd be better to have a day (Thurs) familiarising ourselves with the city before going to Disney on Friday and Saturday but I can just worried in case it is manic.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[sam_b]

Public transport will be very busy during golden week - make sure you get a reservation on the Shinkansen otherwise you will be standing or, worse, won't get on.

As for Disney, it will be manic, brace yourself. If you can avoid Saturday, I would, so I would opt for Thurs and Fri over Friday and Saturday. Good luck!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by sam_b

Public transport will be very busy during golden week - make sure you get a reservation on the Shinkansen otherwise you will be standing or, worse, won't get on.

As for Disney, it will be manic, brace yourself. If you can avoid Saturday, I would, so I would opt for Thurs and Fri over Friday and Saturday. Good luck!

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Oh really it'll be busy the weekend after Golden Week all finishes? I figured it may have been little quieter as everyone will have been in Disney for then. We actually land on 5th and I think the final day of Golden Week is Sunday 6th.

Thanks for your reply.

[hornetgirl]

Last year we arrived in Tokyo in the middle of Golden Week. Everything was extremely busy. We took a short trip on the Shinkansen to Odawara, just to say we’d been on it. We didn’t have reserved seats and had no problem on the way there as the train started in Tokyo. On the way back it was packed as it was the last day of Golden Week and people were returning to Tokyo. I got a seat but DH had to stand.
We went to Disney for the three days immediately after Golden Week and it was lovely and quiet. We were able to get lots done. We left on the Thursday, so don’t know what the weekend would have been like but can’t imagine it would have been stupidly busy in the parks.