New Year in Tokyo transport tips: holiday dates, closed shops, hatsumode crowds at Meiji Jingu and Senso-ji, expressway jams, and 24-hour airport pickups.
Japan celebrates New Year on 1 January, and the period from late December to early January, known as nenmatsu-nenshi, is the country's longest holiday. Many people go back to their home towns, so central Tokyo turns quiet, while shrines and temples fill with hatsumode crowds and expressways out of the city fill with traffic. For transport, New Year in Tokyo is different from an ordinary week in a few ways.
Which days count as the New Year holiday
By law, government offices close from 29 December to 3 January (Act on Holidays of Administrative Organs). Private companies and shops choose their own closing days, so there is no single rule.
Shops close: plan your first meal
Around New Year's Day many shops and restaurants close or shorten their hours, and department stores usually reopen in the first days of January; check each store's notice for exact dates. If you land on the evening of 31 December or on New Year's Day, check what is open near your hotel, or eat at the airport before you set off. Convenience stores generally stay open.
Hatsumode crowds: drop-offs near shrines and temples
For the first few days of January, Meiji Jingu and Senso-ji are among the busiest places for hatsumode, the first shrine or temple visit of the year (Meiji Jingu, Senso-ji). The surrounding streets are packed and may have traffic restrictions, so a car may not be able to stop at your hotel's front door. If you are staying around Harajuku, Omotesando or Asakusa, give your address when booking and our team will confirm the drop-off point on the day.
New Year transport in Tokyo: two expressway peaks, out and back
Late December is the peak for leaving the city and early January for coming back, so expressways towards Hakone, Karuizawa and similar getaways are more likely to be congested. NEXCO East publishes congestion forecasts before the holidays on Drive Plaza. If you plan to head from Tokyo to a hot-spring town mid-holiday, agree your departure time with our team (for Hakone, see Tokyo or the airport to Hakone, door to ryokan). For airport runs into Tokyo, the fare is the same for every ward, with tolls and parking included; see how Tokyo's flat rate works.
We operate 24 hours, so landing in the small hours of New Year's Day is no problem; rides between 22:00 and 06:00 carry a ¥4,000 surcharge.
Once your New Year flights are confirmed, book your transfer on the booking page; for how early to book in busy seasons, see booking airport transfers for Japan's peak seasons.
FAQ
- Which days are Japan's New Year holidays?
- By law, government offices close from 29 December to 3 January. Private businesses and shops set their own closing days, so check each one's notice.
- Our hotel is near Meiji Jingu or Senso-ji. Can the car reach the door around New Year's Day?
- Areas around shrines and temples are crowded during hatsumode and may have traffic restrictions. Give your hotel address when booking; our team will confirm the drop-off point based on conditions on the day.
- Is there airport transport in Tokyo in the early hours of New Year's Day?
- Yes. We operate 24 hours, holidays included; rides between 22:00 and 06:00 carry a ¥4,000 surcharge.
- How much time should we allow to drive from Tokyo to Hakone over New Year?
- Expressways tend to be congested with people leaving the city in late December and returning in early January, so journeys take longer than usual. Check the expressway operator's congestion forecast and confirm your departure time with our team.