Japan has a number of national holidays in which almost everyone actually takes a holiday, and often plans to travel to somewhere else in the country. This can cause major traffic problems, and may mean that you can't find accommodations in certain popular places during these times. Many stores and banks often close, so it is necessary to know when the national holidays are in order to prepare for the possibility of not being able to go shopping or get at your money.
Links[]
- Holidays of Japan article in Wikipedia