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Contents📖 ~7 min read
Lunar New Year Japan travel — money guide for Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean visitors
Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) is the biggest holiday for the Greater China, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam region. In 2027, the Chinese-sphere holiday runs Feb 6-12 (Lunar 1/1-7). During this window, Japan's own New Year — Jan 1-3 — is a national holiday with most shops closed, and Chinese-sphere visitors often get hit with shock that "I came to shop and the stores are closed." This article covers, on one page, what's open and what's closed for Chinese / Taiwanese / Korean visitors during Lunar New Year in Japan, plus what costs what. Reading it as a sub-article to Shopping Money Guide gives the right context.
TL;DR
2027 Lunar New Year: 2/6 (Sat) is Lunar New Year Day; Chinese-sphere holiday runs 2/6-12 (7 days)
Japan's New Year: Jan 1-3 are the "Sangantichi" — department stores, banks, exchange shops, post offices close
Major department stores: Jan 1 fully closed, Jan 2 starts "first sale," Jan 3 returns to normal (varies by store)
Conveni & chain dining: 24-hour operations; Japan's New Year unchanged
Exchange shops: Most closed Jan 1-3, reopen Jan 4 (Mon), airport exchange is 24-hour
Hotels: Lunar New Year week (2/6-12) sees 1.5-2x normal pricing; Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto hit record highs from inbound demand
1. 2027 Lunar New Year calendar & Japan's New Year
2027 Lunar New Year
Lunar Jan 1 = Western 2/6 (Sat). Chinese-sphere holidays:
Country / region
Holiday period
Days
China
2/5 (Fri) - 2/12 (Fri)
8 days
Taiwan
2/5 (Fri) - 2/10 (Wed)
6 days
Korea
2/6 (Sat) - 2/8 (Mon)
3 days
Vietnam
2/5 (Fri) - 2/11 (Thu)
7 days
Singapore / Malaysia
2/6-7
2 days
Japan's New Year (Shogatsu)
Japan's "New Year" celebrates Western Jan 1, separate from Lunar New Year:
Date
Status
12/31 (Omisoka)
Department stores close at 17:00; conveni normal; shrines fill for midnight prayers from 23:00
1/1 (Ganjitsu)
Department stores fully closed, banks/post closed, only conveni open
1/2-3 (Sangantichi)
Dept stores start "first sale" from 1/2, many move to family hometowns, shinkansen/airports crowded
1/4 (Mon)
Banks, post, exchange shops reopen; companies start work year
→ In short, Lunar New Year (2/6-12) and Japan's New Year (1/1-3) are different crowd periods. Late January through early February — post-Japan-NY and pre-Lunar-NY — is a relatively quiet window.
2. What's open / closed during Lunar New Year period in Japan
What closes during Jan 1-3
Category
Status
Major department stores (Takashimaya, Isetan, Mitsukoshi)
Jan 1 fully closed, Jan 2 first sale
Banks / post offices
Jan 1-3 fully closed, reopen Jan 4 (Mon)
Exchange shops (Daikokuya, Travelex etc)
Most closed Jan 1-3, airport stays 24h
Personal / small restaurants
Many closed Jan 1-3
Government offices
Fully closed
What's open Jan 1-3
Category
Status
Conveni (7-Eleven, Famima, Lawson)
24-hour, unchanged for NY
Chain dining (Yoshinoya, Matsuya, Jonathan's)
Normal hours, plus NY menu
Theme parks (TDL, USJ)
Normal operation, with hatsumode live events
Large shopping malls (LaLaport, Aeon)
Jan 1 closed, Jan 2 reopens
Tourist sites / shrines
Massive hatsumode crowds; temples still accessible
Airports
24-hour operation; exchange, conveni, cafes available
Lunar New Year week (2/6-12)
Even though it's a Chinese-sphere holiday, Japan operates as normal. Department stores and banks run as usual. Better still, many department stores run Spring Festival sales targeting inbound tourists — making it an excellent shopping window.
3. Hotel pricing — Lunar New Year surge
Major-city Lunar New Year hotel rates (2027 estimate)
City / hotel
Off-season (¥/night)
Lunar NY period (¥/night)
Multiplier
Tokyo business hotel
¥12,000-18,000
¥20,000-32,000
1.6-1.8x
Tokyo mid-tier city
¥22,000-32,000
¥38,000-58,000
1.7-1.8x
Osaka business hotel
¥10,000-15,000
¥18,000-28,000
1.7-1.9x
Kyoto mid-tier
¥18,000-28,000
¥35,000-55,000
1.9-2.0x
Fukuoka business hotel
¥10,000-14,000
¥18,000-26,000
1.7-1.9x
Osaka Dotonbori (Chinese-popular)
¥12,000-18,000
¥28,000-42,000
2.0-2.3x
Nara station hotel
¥10,000-14,000
¥18,000-26,000
1.7-1.9x
→ Lunar New Year period (2/6-12) hits 1.6-2.0x normal hotel rates. Milder than sakura (2.5-3x) but still record-high from inbound demand.
Booking timing
Oct 2026: Major-city popular hotels open booking, immediately 40-50% full
Dec 2026: Osaka / Kyoto Chinese-popular areas hit 70% full
Jan 2027: Large hotels finish bookings
Early Feb 2027: Only suburbs and premium plans remain
→ Book on Agoda4-5 months out (Sep-Oct 2026) for safety.
4. Exchange shops during Lunar New Year
Jan 1-3 exchange availability
Location
Hours
Narita / Haneda / Kansai airport
24-hour (depths 0-6 AM = only 1-2 windows open)
Shinjuku Daikokuya, Travelex
Jan 1 closed, Jan 2+ open (shortened 11-18)
Ginza / Asakusa street exchange
Most closed Jan 1-3
Conveni ATM (Seven Bank)
24-hour; no need to exchange with foreign card
SMBC / Mizuho ATM
24-hour, accepts foreign cards
During Lunar New Year (2/6-12)
Chinese-sphere visitor demand keeps major exchange shops at normal rates, but airport exchange sees 30-60 minute waits from crowds. Pre-load Wise / Revolut for the fastest option.
Many Lunar New Year visitors hope to "experience Japan's hatsumode." Originally a Jan 1-3 ritual, the shrines remain visitable in Lunar New Year period (with vastly reduced crowds).
Major hatsumode spots (2027 estimate)
Shrine / temple
Location
1/1-3 visitors
2/6 visitors
Sensoji
Tokyo
3 million
50-100k
Meiji Jingu
Tokyo
3 million
30-50k
Naritasan Shinshoji
Chiba
3 million
50-80k
Kawasaki Daishi
Kanagawa
3 million
30-50k
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Kyoto
2.5 million
40-60k
Sumiyoshi Taisha
Osaka
2.3 million
30-50k
→ Jan 1-3 is shoulder-to-shoulder, 1-2 hour line to the altar. Lunar New Year period (2/6-12) = 10-20 minute wait.
Hatsumode cash requirements
Item
Yen
Saisen (donation)
¥5 (gosen) is auspicious, ¥100 or ¥1,000 OK
Omikuji (fortune)
¥100-300
Omamori (charm)
¥500-1,500
Ema (wooden plaque)
¥500-2,000
Amazake / street food
¥300-800
Hatsumode approach lanes have food stalls — cash-only. Bring ¥3,000-5,000 in ¥1,000 notes plus coins.
Etiquette (for Chinese-sphere visitors)
Bow once before passing under the torii (a brief nod is fine)
Cleanse hands and mouth at the temizu fountain (order: left → right → mouth → left → ladle)
Two bows, two claps, one bow (standard shrine prayer)
Saisen is thrown (audible toss into the offering box)
Avoid photos at the inner altar
At Buddhist temples (Sensoji, Naritasan), no clapping — gassho (palms together) only.
6. Shopping & first-sale strategy
Lunar New Year period (2/6-12) sees department stores and drugstores lively with Spring Festival sales, with Mandarin-speaking staff and UnionPay acceptance well-prepared.
Osaka Dotonbori / Shinsaibashi
The most-popular shopping zone for Chinese-sphere visitors.
Store
Notes
Don Quijote Dotonbori
24-hour, tax-free, Chinese staff
Matsumoto Kiyoshi Shinsaibashi
Drugstore, cosmetics, medicine
Daimaru Shinsaibashi
Department store, luxury tax-free
Apple Store Shinsaibashi
iPhone, iPad
Bic Camera Namba
Electronics
Tokyo Ginza / Shinjuku
Store
Notes
Ginza Mitsukoshi
Spring Festival limited sale, Chinese support
GINZA SIX
Spring Festival décor, premium brands
Shinjuku Isetan
Spring Festival campaign, first-sale style
Shinjuku Yodobashi Camera
Electronics, camera tax-free
Don Quijote Shinjuku East
24-hour, bulk-buy ready
Lunar New Year sale price guide
Department stores: 5-15% OFF + Spring Festival exclusives
Drugstores: Cosmetics / medicine at normal price + 5-10% points
Electronics: 8% tax-free + 5-10% coupon, totaling 13-18% OFF
Luxury brands: Lunar New Year limited packaging (same base price)
Q1: Best dates to visit Japan during Lunar New Year?
A: Arrive 2/4-5 (pre-holiday), depart 2/9-10 distributes crowds. Feb 6-7 sees all of Chinese-sphere arrive together, jamming airports and hotels. After 2/10, China / Taiwan are nearing holiday's end — return flights jam, but domestic moves like Tokyo → Osaka are quiet.
Q2: If I arrive Jan 1-3, what about shopping?
A: Survive 3 days on conveni + theme parks + shrines + chain dining. No department-store bulk shopping is possible — concentrate shopping on Jan 4 (Mon)+. First-sale starts Jan 2, so chasing fukubukuro (mystery bags) is also an option.
Q3: Will UnionPay acceptance grow during Lunar New Year?
A: Yes. For inbound demand, major department stores, drugstores, and hotels display the UnionPay logo — ask at the register and they'll handle it. However, Wise / Revolut rates are often better, so carrying both is best.
Q4: How much for hatsumode saisen — what's polite?
A: ¥5 (gosen) is most popular — homophone with "good fortune", and ¥50 (gojuen) = "five layers of fortune" is also auspicious. ¥100, ¥500, ¥1,000 are all fine. ¥10 (toen) sounds like "distant fortune" and is avoided.
Q5: Lunar New Year cash prep?
A: ¥30,000-50,000 per person per week is standard. Food stalls, donations, small regional shops demand cash. Conveni ATM is 24-hour, so withdraw ¥30,000 at the airport on day 1, top up from conveni ATM as needed.
Last verified: 2026-05-24. Hotel pricing varies by booking site and season. Verify latest pricing on Agoda before booking. Booking links may earn the operator a referral fee; user pricing is unaffected.