Golden week travel day to avoid?

So for 2024, golden week is Monday 4/29 to Sunday 5/5 and in 2025 it is a Tuesday to Monday.

I know to avoid the first and last day of Golden week in terms of traveling, but if it is a long weekend like this year on Monday, should one avoid the Friday/Saturday before?

In 2025, since Golden week starts on a Tuesday, would traveling on the weekend before be hectic?

Frankly if you book early enough you can travel any day. Yes the days at end /beginning will be more busy. Lately Nozomi Shinkansen in busy periods are reserved only so you�fll have a seat if you reserved before.

To set the record straight, Golden Week (GW) doesn't really have a fixed date. For example, Apr 29 is always a national holiday while the 28th or 27th aren't, but the majority of residents would have days off starting Apr 27 (SAT) 2024 to May 6 2024 (because the national holiday May 5 is a Sunday, May 6 Monday would be a day off).

Secondly, you probably heard that the first of Golden Week (GW) is to be avoided because many residents can be leaving home, and last day of GW is to be avoided because many residents can be coming back home.

So, technically speaking for example, coming to Japan on the first day of GW shouldn't be too much of a problem. In the same sense, leaving Japan on the last day of GW isn't either. Similarly, traveling between big cities is not a good idea on first and last days, but you can travel from a rural area to a big city on the first day with fewer problems.

Note that air fare and long-distance train fare tend to become expensive when there are more people traveling, so looking at fares is one way to judge if the transportation you're using would be crowded or not.

HOWEVER, note that there would be a huge number of people at sightseeing spots all through GW.

I wonder if it answers your question.

thanks, this is helpful. I am thinking of a trip in 2025 and it would be mid-late april. So would just want to know which day to avoid in terms of leaving the country.

Just guessing from what the news have been reporting in recent years, I would assume that a lot of residents would be leaving Japan on Apr 25 (FRI) 2025, more on Apr 26, maybe many on Apr 29 and the evening before. But again, best to check airlines and travel agents.

For 2025, I am aiming to leave right before or as GW starts. Since 4/29 is a Tuesday in 2025, not sure if I should fly out that weekend (26th/27th), Monday 28th or Tuesday 29th. I'm guessing 4/29 will be the busiest?

Common sense says that April 28th should be the quietest day, and 26th being the worse, followed by the 29th.

I travel most golden weeks and have done so almost every year over the past decade (covid screwed things up a bit). The dire stories about travel are simply false.

It is explained here:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html

Avoid traveling out of Tokyo on May 3 (especially AM) and back into Tokyo on May 5-6.
All other days are just like normal weekends.

You can travel even on those days. Just have a train/flight reservation before.