Showa Day

Showa Day (Showa no Hi) is a statutory national holiday (a holiday created by law) run by the Cabinet Office of Japan. Under the Act on National Holidays, it falls on 29 April across Japan since 2007 under a 2005 amendment as a public day off. Its purpose is reflection on the Showa era and thought about Japan's future. It is not an economic indicator (a statistic tracking activity), so it has no value, sample or respondents.

Showa Day falls by law on every 29 April, with cash equities (shares) closed because Japan Exchange Group shuts cash markets on national holidays. Derivatives (contracts tied to assets) stay open for holiday trading since 2022, with no night session and no clearing (settlement processing) on non-business days.

If 29 April falls on Sunday, the next day that is not a national holiday becomes a public holiday. Any weekday between two national holidays becomes a public holiday too.

Each year's list appears in February of the prior year alongside the Golden Week cluster. The cluster is Constitution Memorial Day on 3 May, Greenery Day on 4 May and Children's Day on 5 May, with no market-direction signal. The date and purpose are never revised.

Showa Day has no components, weights or drivers because it is a fixed-date law, not a survey.

• Fixed date: 29 April is Showa Day every year by law.
• Statutory purpose: reflection on the Showa era and thought about Japan's future.
• Observance rules: Sunday-shift and bridge-day provisions decide extra public days off.

In 2019 Showa Day fell on Monday 29 April 2019 with further holidays beside it. Cash markets shut for 6 straight weekdays within 10 consecutive non-business days from 27 April 2019 to 6 May 2019. It ran 30 April 2019 for the abdication under special law and 1 May 2019 for the enthronement, with 2 May 2019 a bridge holiday.

Then came Constitution Memorial Day on 3 May 2019 and Greenery Day on 4 May 2019. Children's Day fell on 5 May 2019, with a substitute holiday on 6 May 2019.

1. Fixed date: 29 April of every year is Showa Day under Article 2, and it is a public day off under Article 3(1).
2. Sunday shift: If 29 April falls on Sunday, the next day that is not a national holiday becomes a holiday too. For example, 29 April 2018 was a Sunday, so Monday 30 April 2018 became a holiday too.
3. Bridge day: A weekday with national holidays on both sides becomes a holiday too.
4. Market reading: Cash markets close on Showa Day and any derived holiday, while derivatives stay open for holiday trading since 2022. That covers the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Osaka Exchange and Tokyo Commodity Exchange day session.