New Year's Day

New Year’s Day, called Ganjitsu, is a national holiday in Japan. Visiting shrines or temples for hatsumode is a familiar custom, and many companies separately choose a longer year-end and New Year closure.
Date source: Cabinet Office, “国民の祝日”.

• Supplier closures may outlast the holiday: Many employers customarily close for extra year-end days, without those days becoming national holidays.
• First shrine or temple visits may draw crowds: Nearby retailers and food shops should check local access and demand.
• Make reopening dates clear: Clinics, salons and appointment-based services should publish exactly when they resume.
• Visitor enquiries: Share your hours; suggest checking transport and attraction notices directly.
• Check employment guidance: For private-sector days off, substitute holidays, staffing and pay arrangements, follow announcements from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

• 30 days before: Confirm New Year’s Day hours and any separate company closure period, then notify staff and suppliers.
• 14 days before: Set each date’s special hours in Google Business Profile, including closed days. Publish a Post on the same day with the complete opening schedule.
• 7 days before: Repeat your actual reopening date and check that bookings or deliveries do not fall on closure days.
• On the holiday: Verify that the posted hours still match actual operations. Check that the special hours will expire after their assigned dates rather than overwrite regular hours.