Japan has a fairly high number of public holidays each year—16 in total!—and the locals often take advantage of these days to take mini vacations themselves. If you’re not aware of these days in advance, you might find yourself dealing with more crowding than you anticipated, and the facilities you’d planned to visit may even be closed. When you visit Kyoto, these are some of the days you’ll want to take note to plan your trip in the next few months:

November 3^rd  (Friday): Culture Day (This holidays is held to promote culture and the arts, so in addition to closures, some related festivities may be held on this day, too)

November 23^rd (Thursday): Labor Thanksgiving Day

In December, much of Japan will close down for the New Years holidays between January 1^st and 3^rd, though some may have additional closing days after this, or at the tail-end of December. During this time, banks and many ATMs also close their services, so be sure to prepare any cash you’ll need during this time in advance!

Of course, even as you plan around these holidays, you’ll definitely want to be in Japan for the season’s can’t miss event: the beautiful fall leaves! We’ve got the inside scoop on the perfect autumn leaf spots in Kyoto to visit: 8 Spectacular and Secluded Spots to see Autumn Leaves in Kyoto

Need more ideas for how to spend your trip in Kyoto? Check out our Trip Ideas for some inspiration!