Start Date (Friday) End Date (Friday) XRTCO XRTDV Events & Comments
FY 2026      
26-Dec-2025 2-Jan-2026 SAO
Guliano
SAO
Guliano
1-Jan New Year's Day
1-3 Jan New Year's Holidays (J)

7-day timeline: 12/30
2-Jan-2026 9-Jan-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
7-day timeline: 01/06
9-Jan-2026 16-Jan-2026 SAO
Guliano/Xie
SAO
Guliano/Xie
12-Jan Coming of Age Day (J)
2-day timeline: 01/13
2-day timeline: 01/15
  Focused Mode week
16-Jan-2026 23-Jan-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Fleming
19-Jan MLK Day (US)
3-day timeline: 01/17
7-day timeline: 01/20
  Transition Week
23-Jan-2026 30-Jan-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Takeda
7-day timeline: 01/27   Holiday Period
30-Jan-2026 6-Feb-2026 Sakao Sakao 7-day timeline: 02/03
6-Feb-2026 13-Feb-2026 SAO
Suarez/Xie
SAO
Suarez/Xie
10-Feb END OF FOCUSED MODE
11-Feb National Foundation Day (J)
2-day timeline: 02/10
2-day timeline: 02/12
13-Feb-2026 20-Feb-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Fleming
16-Feb Presidents Day (US)
Japan Solar Physics Community Symposium
20-Feb-2026 27-Feb-2026 J-side
Hirose
J-side
Hirose
23-Feb Emperor's Birthday (J)
27-Feb-2026 6-Mar-2026 SAO
Xie
SAO
Xie
4-7 Mar ASJ meeting
6-Mar-2026 13-Mar-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
8-March Daylight Saving Time Begins (US)
13-Mar-2026 20-Mar-2026 J-side
Hirose+Sato
J-side
Hirose+Sato
20-Mar Vernal Equinox Day (J)
20-Mar-2026 27-Mar-2026 MSU
Takeda
MSU
Yoshimura
20-Mar Vernal Equinox Day (J)
27-Mar-2026 3-Apr-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Fleming
 
3-Apr-2026 10-Apr-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
5-April Easter (US)
10-Apr-2026 17-Apr-2026 J-side
Taniguchi
J-side
Taniguchi
 
17-Apr-2026 24-Apr-2026 J-side
Ishibashi
J-side
Ishibashi
19-April Patriots Day (US)
20-April Patriots Day - Observed (US)
24-Apr-2026 1-May-2026 SAO
Xie
SAO
Xie
29 Apr - 5 May: Golden Week (J)
1-May-2026 8-May-2026 MSU
Takeda
MSU
Yoshimura
29 Apr - 5 May: Golden Week (J)
8-May-2026 15-May-2026 MSU
Takeda
MSU
Fleming
 
15-May-2026 22-May-2026 J-side
Matsumoto
J-side
Matsumoto
 
22-May-2026 29-May-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
24-29 May JpGU-AGU Meeting
25-May Memorial Day (US)
29-May-2026 5-Jun-2026 SAO
Suarez
SAO
Suarez
 
5-Jun-2026 12-Jun-2026 J-side
Taniguchi
J-side
Taniguchi
 
12-Jun-2026 19-Jun-2026 J-side
Ishibashi
J-side
Ishibashi
19-June Juneteenth (US)
19-Jun-2026 26-Jun-2026 J-side
Sakao
J-side
Sakao
19-June Juneteenth (US)
26-Jun-2026 3-Jul-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Takeda
3-July Independence Day (US)
3-Jul-2026 10-Jul-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
3-July Independence Day (US)
10-Jul-2026 17-Jul-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
17-Jul-2026 24-Jul-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
20-July Marine Day (J)
24-Jul-2026 31-Jul-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
31-Jul-2026 7-Aug-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
 
7-Aug-2026 14-Aug-2026 MSU
TBD
MSU
TBD
11-Aug Mountain Day (J)
13-15 Aug: Obon (J)
14-Aug-2026 21-Aug-2026 SAO
Suarez
SAO
Suarez
13-15 Aug: Obon (J)
21-Aug-2026 28-Aug-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
28-Aug-2026 4-Sep-2026 SAO
Xie
SAO
Xie
 
4-Sep-2026 11-Sep-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
7-Sept Labor Day (US)
11-Sep-2026 18-Sep-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
18-Sep-2026 25-Sep-2026 SAO
Xie
SAO
Xie
21-Sep Respect for Aged Day (J)
22-Sept Public Holiday (J)
23-Sept Autumn Equinox (J)
25-Sep-2026 2-Oct-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
2-Oct-2026 9-Oct-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
9-Oct-2026 16-Oct-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
12-Oct Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day (US)
12-Oct Sports Day (J)
16-Oct-2026 23-Oct-2026 SAO
Suarez
SAO
Suarez
 
23-Oct-2026 30-Oct-2026 SAO
Xie
SAO
Xie
 
30-Oct-2026 6-Nov-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Takeda
31-Oct Halloween (US), 1-Nov Daylight Saving Time ends (US)
3-Nov Culture Day (J)
6-Nov-2026 13-Nov-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
11-Nov Veterans Day (US)
13-Nov-2026 20-Nov-2026 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
 
20-Nov-2026 27-Nov-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
23-Nov Labor Thanksgiving Day (J)
26-Nov Thanksgiving (US)
27-Nov-2026 4-Dec-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
 
4-Dec-2026 11-Dec-2026 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Takeda
   
11-Dec-2026 18-Dec-2026 SAO
Velaquez
SAO
Velasquez
   
18-Dec-2026 25-Dec-2026 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
24-Dec Christmas Eve
25-Dec Christmas Day
 
25-Dec-2026 1-Jan-2027 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
1-Jan New Year's Day  
1-Jan-2027 8-Jan-2027 MSU
Yoshimura
MSU
Takeda
1-Jan New Year's Day  
8-Jan-2027 15-Jan-2027 SAO
Xie
SAO
Xie
11-Jan Coming of Age Day (J)  
15-Jan-2027 22-Jan-2027 J-side
TBD
J-side
TBD
18-Jan MLK Day (US)  
22-Jan-2027 29-Jan-2027 SAO
Velasquez
SAO
Velasquez
   
           
What is "Golden Week"? What is 'OBON'?  
In the last week of April and 1st week May, there are four national holidays in Japan (29 Apr: SHOWA day [Former Emperor's Birthday], 3 May:Constitution Memorial Day, 4 May: Greenery Day, and 5 May: Children's Day). Most japanese take a vacation included the national holidays and Sat/Sunday. Hence, we call this week "Golden Week".
This ‘OBON’, as well as being a religious event to commemorate the souls of ancestors, has the air of a national holiday, with many people traveling around the country and, for those not aware of Buddhist practices, the Obon around August 15th is just a summer vacation, though most people throughout the country maintain the tradition of visting family graves. Though it depends on the company, most close for three to five days on and around August 15th, the middle of the Bon festival, taking this Bon festival holiday as their summer holidays.