What is Golden Week? It’s an exhausting week!

The holiday week called Golden Week will soon be upon us in Japan. Many Japanese people probably don't understand the true meaning of "Golden".

This year's Golden Week is from April 27th to May 6th. Some people can take this period of rest in a row, while others cannot. It varies by company.

In my case, I have to work during this period, so I can't take days off. (In other words, it's not "Golden" to me)

I have been working for 38 years since I was 22 years old. During this time, there were only two occasions when I took more than 10 days off. The first time was when I got married and went on my honeymoon, and the second time was when I went mountain climbing in Borneo. Other than that, I never took long holidays. I think I did a good job, despite my efforts.

That's why I always worked during Golden Week. For me, this period has never been “Golden'' in the past 38 years. I can not believe that.

During Golden Week, many people travel or return home, so trains and roads across Japan become congested. It is almost the same as Chinese New Year. This kind of problem could be solved if each company or school had different holidays, but for some reason Japanese people don't think about that. That's why many people who took vacation during Golden Week feel exhausted after the holiday is over. They don't feel refreshed at all and return to work or school looking exhausted.

By the way, the name "Golden Week" seems to have been invented by a Japanese movie company a long time ago as an advertising slogan.

I will soon reach retirement age. Once that day comes, it will be Golden Week until the day I die.