How busy it will be in Golden Week 2018?

Hello! I know many people have asked about how busy Tokyo will be during GW 2018 and I'm surprised that Tokyo won't be as crowded as other places with the exception of tourist areas. My family and I had no choice but to book our trip to Japan during Golden Week.

I would like to know if places such as Harajuku, Shibuya and Akihabara (and all of the shopping centers in it) would be very crowded during Gold Week? I planned our itinerary and we can only go to these places on May 3 and 4 since we have all decided to go to all of the temples on May 1 and go to Mt. Fuji on May 2.

Thank you very much! ^_^

In tokyo you never see much difference from normal weeks. The bigger the city, the less you notice the effects of golden week.

I have been travelling with groups in Golden Week for several years and have not encountered problems. Last year we had a train car to ourselves (an express train), and the only precaution I took this year was on a train that gets full outside of GW anyway. Some trains on major routes can be busier than usual. However, there is a degree of scare-mongering on some forums (more over at TripAdvisor), but if you are flexible with travel and plan sensibly then there should be few issues.
As for sightseeing locations, if they are popular, then they are full irrespective. If you seek out less crowded spots, then GW will not make too much of a difference. Next week I have planned one day an activity that domestic/local people like to do, and I am expecting that to be busy - again, not specifically because it is GW, but it is always busy on a non-working day in Japan.

Oooh thank you very much to all of you! I could say I'm relieved that Golden Week won't be too much of a problem at all. I guess my family and I have to be prepared for the crowds and be flexible too since it is really uncontrollable in Tokyo. But like, how bad is the crowd during Golden Week? Is it manageable?

Is it manageable?
Unsure what you meant by the question. Tokyo is a very big city, with a huge population. It has always been busy, and even more with the increasing number of overseas tourists. If this is going to be your first visit, be prepared for the crowds, take it as part of Tokyo's attraction, enjoy the "show" and have fun.

As already said above, I was previously in Tokyo for the Golden week, and there was no problem at all with the crowd. I think there's actually a significant number of Japanese who are outside of Tokyo at that time, so there can be *less* people in fact.

I grew up in Tokyo and still live nearby. To me, Harajuku, Shibuya and Akihabara are all "tourist areas". You see more tourists (foreign and domestic) than residents. As mentioned, these places are always packed, and I hate trying to walk through the renovated Shibuya Station.

Perhaps you'll feel a bit more relaxed at places like Daikanyama, Shimokitazawa and Nakano instead, if you prefer youth subculture. That said, to me, tourists always look happy in the crowd. I suppose that to them, anything in Tokyo is as fascinating as what I love to experience in the crowds of London as a tourist.

Thank you so much for all of your insights! I'll take note of those. I don't feel nervous for our trip anymore. ^_^