Business hours are generally Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, though private companies often close much later in the evening and may also open on Saturday mornings. Department stores and bigger shops tend to open around 10am and shut at 7pm or 8pm, with no break for lunch. Local shops, however, will generally stay open later, while many convenience stores are open 24 hours. Most shops will take one day off a week, not necessarily on a Sunday.

Banks open on weekdays from 9am to 3pm, and close on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. Post offices tend to work 9am to 5pm on weekdays, closing at weekends and also on national holidays, though a few open on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. Central post offices, on the other hand, stay open till 7pm in the evening, open on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays and holidays from 9am to 12.30pm. Larger offices are also likely to operate an after-hours service for parcels and express mail, sometimes up to 24 hours at major post offices.

The majority of museums close on a Monday, but stay open on Sundays and national holidays; last entry is normally thirty minutes before closing. There's almost invariably an admission charge to museums and other tourist sights. In the Guide we give the cost of an adult entry ticket; school-age children and students usually get reduced rates, which may be up to half the adult price.

While most museums and department stores stay open on national holidays, they usually take the following day off instead. However, during the New Year festival (January 1-4), Golden Week (April 29-May 5) and Obon (the week around August 15), almost everything shuts down. Around these periods every form of transport and accommodation will be booked out weeks in advance, and all major tourist spots will be besieged.

Festivals
Festivals ( matsuri ) still play a central role in many Japanese communities. Most are Shinto in origin and mark important occasions in the agricultural cycle, re-enact historic events or honour elements of the local economy, such as sewing needles or silkworms. Since every shrine and temple observes its own festivals...

Japan's major festivals and national holidays
- Ganjitsu (or Gantan): January 1. On the first day of the year everyone heads for the shrines to pray for good fortune (national holiday).
- Yamayaki : January 15...

Oshogatsu
In the days leading up to New Year, generally known as Oshogatsu , Japan succumbs to a frenzy of cleaning as last year's bad luck is swept away. People decorate their rooms, doorways and even car radiators with bamboo and pine sprigs, and visit temple fairs to buy lucky charms such as rakes, arrows and...