When planning a trip to Japan, there are three major holiday periods that most travelers should avoid due to extreme crowds and surged prices. The most significant is Golden Week (late April to early May), a cluster of four national holidays that sees millions of Japanese citizens traveling simultaneously; trains are packed, and hotels are often booked months in advance. Similarly, Obon (mid-August) is a time when people return to their hometowns to honor ancestors, leading to massive congestion on Shinkansen lines and popular tourist sites. The New Year period (December 29 to January 3) should also be avoided by those wanting to see sights, as many museums, shops, and restaurants—including major attractions like the Tokyo National Museum—close for the holidays. Additionally, early September can be problematic due to typhoon season, which can cause flight cancellations and heavy rain. If you want a peaceful experience with reasonable prices, aim for the "shoulder seasons" of late May (after Golden Week) or late autumn (November), which offer beautiful weather without the overwhelming domestic holiday traffic that characterizes the major "red-letter" dates on the Japanese calendar.