Japan Year-End Closures 29 Dec–3 Jan (2026/27): What's Shut and What's Open for Families in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara & Hokkaido
Checked 2026-11-06 · Updated 2026-11-06
Checked 6 Nov 2026 on each place's official site: Tokyo National Museum, Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan), Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Camii, Kyoto Railway Museum (JR West release of 2 Nov 2026), Nijo Castle, Osaka Castle Main Tower, Todai-ji and Asahiyama Zoo. Only places that have published their 2026/27 dates or fixed year-end rules are listed. Days of the week are for 2026/27.
Short answer. 30 Dec to 1 Jan is the tightest stretch. Closed: Kyoto Railway Museum (30 Dec–1 Jan), Asahiyama Zoo (30 Dec–1 Jan), Osaka Castle Main Tower (28 Dec–1 Jan), Sannomaru Shozokan at the Imperial Palace (28 Dec–3 Jan) and Nijo Castle (29–31 Dec; its Ninomaru Palace stays closed through 3 Jan). Open: Tokyo National Museum reopens on 1 Jan, 12:00–20:00, after closing 26–31 Dec. Tokyo Skytree opens 9:00–22:30 on 31 Dec and from 8:00 on 1 Jan. 1 Jan 2027 is a Friday, so Tokyo Camii opens to general visitors from 14:00, after Friday prayer. If you have one day in Kyoto, use 28 or 29 Dec for the Railway Museum. Checked 6 Nov 2026.
A 7-day Japan itinerary for a family of four, December 2026: real budget in RM, 4-person hotels, halal food and prayer on your route (a map sample), and a what-to-book-when calendar (PDF, BM & EN). Sign up & download →
1. The table: closed and open, by place
| Place | City | Closed over New Year (official) | Open in the window (official) | Hours and price (official) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo National Museum | Tokyo (Ueno) | 26–31 Dec. 22–25 Dec: only the Horyu-ji Treasures Gallery and Kuroda Memorial Hall open. Mondays | 1 Jan (Fri, holiday) 12:00–20:00 | Usually 9:30–17:00. Adults ¥1,000, university ¥500, under 18 free |
| Sannomaru Shozokan (Museum of the Imperial Collections) | Tokyo (Imperial Palace East Gardens) | 22 Dec, 28 Dec–3 Jan, 12 Jan, Mondays | 23–27 Dec (the third rotation of the opening exhibition starts 23 Dec) | 9:30–17:00; Fri and Sat to 20:00 |
| Tokyo Skytree | Tokyo (Oshiage) | None stated | 31 Dec 9:00–22:30 (last entry 21:30). 1 Jan: sunrise session 5:30–7:30 by lottery, ¥11,000, apply 5–26 Nov 2026; regular opening 8:00–22:00 | From 7:30 on 1 Jan, the observation deck needs a standard Tembo Galleria ticket |
| Tokyo Camii (mosque) | Tokyo (Yoyogi-Uehara) | None listed | Open daily 10:00–18:00. On Fridays, general visits from 14:00 (1 Jan is a Friday) | Guided tours Sat, Sun and holidays at 14:30, but none when a holiday falls on a Friday |
| Kyoto Railway Museum | Kyoto | 30 Dec–1 Jan. Wednesdays, except public holidays and school holiday periods | 26–29 Dec; 2–3 Jan | Adults ¥1,500, high school and university ¥1,300, elementary and junior high ¥500, age 3+ ¥200 (until 28 Feb 2027) |
| Nijo Castle | Kyoto | Castle 29–31 Dec. Ninomaru Palace 26–28 Dec, 1–3 Jan and Tuesdays in December and January. Honmaru Palace 26–28 Dec and 1–3 Jan | Grounds 26–28 Dec and 1–3 Jan | 8:45–16:00 entry, closes 17:00 |
| Osaka Castle Main Tower | Osaka | 28 Dec–1 Jan | 26–27 Dec; 2–3 Jan | 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30). Adults ¥1,200, junior high and under free (proof needed) |
| Todai-ji, Great Buddha Hall | Nara | None listed on its hours page | Nov–Mar 8:00–17:00 | Adults ¥800, age 6–12 ¥400 |
| Asahiyama Zoo | Asahikawa (Hokkaido) | 30 Dec–1 Jan (winter season runs 11 Nov–29 Dec and 2 Jan–7 Apr) | To 29 Dec; from 2 Jan | 10:30–15:30 (last entry 15:00). Adults ¥1,000, junior high and under free |
Sources 1–11. "Open in the window" for Kyoto Railway Museum, Nijo Castle grounds and Osaka Castle is worked out from the closed days each site publishes. Check each official page in the week you go.
2. Day by day, 26 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027
| Day | Closed (from the table) | Open, worth planning around |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 26 Dec | Tokyo National Museum; Nijo's two palaces | Sannomaru Shozokan; Kyoto Railway Museum; Osaka Castle; Asahiyama Zoo |
| Sun 27 Dec | Tokyo National Museum; Nijo's two palaces | Sannomaru Shozokan (last day before New Year); Osaka Castle (last day before New Year) |
| Mon 28 Dec | Sannomaru; Osaka Castle; Tokyo National Museum; Nijo's two palaces | Kyoto Railway Museum; Nijo Castle grounds |
| Tue 29 Dec | Nijo Castle; Sannomaru; Osaka Castle; Tokyo National Museum | Kyoto Railway Museum (last day of 2026); Asahiyama Zoo (last day of 2026) |
| Wed 30 Dec | Kyoto Railway Museum; Asahiyama Zoo; Nijo Castle; Osaka Castle; Sannomaru; Tokyo National Museum | Tokyo Camii (open daily); Todai-ji (no closed day listed) |
| Thu 31 Dec | Same as 30 Dec | Skytree 9:00–22:30 |
| Fri 1 Jan | Kyoto Railway Museum; Asahiyama Zoo; Osaka Castle; Sannomaru; Nijo's two palaces | Tokyo National Museum 12:00–20:00; Skytree from 8:00; Tokyo Camii from 14:00; Nijo Castle grounds |
| Sat 2 Jan | Sannomaru; Nijo's two palaces | Osaka Castle, Kyoto Railway Museum and Asahiyama Zoo reopen |
| Sun 3 Jan | Sannomaru; Nijo's two palaces | Same as 2 Jan |
3. What this means for your plan
- Kyoto Railway Museum on 28 or 29 Dec, not 30–31 Dec. 30 Dec 2026 is a Wednesday and also inside the year-end closure, so it is shut either way.
- Sannomaru Shozokan: 23–27 Dec only. The museum closes 28 Dec–3 Jan, and 4 Jan is a Monday. If your Tokyo days are 28 Dec–4 Jan, it won't fit.
- Ueno on New Year's Day. Tokyo National Museum opens 12:00–20:00 on 1 Jan, and children under 18 go free.
- Friday 1 Jan at Tokyo Camii. General visitors are let in from 14:00 on Fridays, and the holiday tour doesn't run when a holiday falls on a Friday.
- Nijo Castle's palace interior: before 26 Dec. From 26 Dec to 3 Jan the Ninomaru Palace is closed every day (26–28 Dec and 1–3 Jan by its own rule, 29–31 Dec with the whole castle), so 1–3 Jan gives you the grounds only. It is also closed on Tuesdays in December (1, 8, 15 and 22 Dec).
- Skytree's sunrise slot is a lottery that closes on 26 Nov. Regular tickets still work from 8:00 on 1 Jan.
Further reading: 7-day December itinerary for Muslim families · Kyoto Railway Museum price change, March 2027 · Sannomaru Shozokan opening · Hokkaido in December with kids.
When an official page changes, this article gets updated.
Links in this article may be affiliate links (Trip.com). The price you pay doesn't change.
Sources
All checked 6 November 2026. Next check: 6 December 2026.
| # | Source | Used for | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo National Museum, Visitor Information | Closed 26–31 Dec 2026; 22–25 Dec partial; 1 Jan 12:00–20:00; hours; Mondays; ¥1,000 / ¥500 / under 18 free | https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_free_page/index.php?id=113&lang=en | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 2 | Museum of the Imperial Collections, opening exhibition (English) | Rotation 3 from 23 Dec; closed 22 Dec, 28 Dec–3 Jan, 12 Jan, Mondays | https://shozokan.nich.go.jp/feature/grand-opening/beauty/english.html | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 3 | Museum of the Imperial Collections, hours | 9:30–17:00; Fri and Sat to 20:00 | https://shozokan.nich.go.jp/en/visit/calendar | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 4 | Tokyo Skytree, first sunrise 2027 | 31 Dec 9:00–22:30; 1 Jan 5:30–7:30 lottery ¥11,000, 5–26 Nov; regular 8:00–22:00 | https://en.tokyo-skytree.jp/lp/first-sunrise2027/ | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 5 | Tokyo Camii, Visit | Open daily 10:00–18:00; Fridays from 14:00; tours and holiday-Friday rule | https://tokyocamii.org/visit/ | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 6 | Kyoto Railway Museum, news release of 2 Nov 2026 (Japanese, PDF) | Closed Wednesdays (open on holidays and school holidays); closed 30 Dec–1 Jan; prices to 28 Feb 2027 | https://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/2026/11/02/items/261102_00_press_ryoukinkaitei.pdf | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 7 | Nijo Castle, Guide | Castle closed 29–31 Dec; Ninomaru and Honmaru Palace closed days; hours | https://nijo-jocastle.city.kyoto.lg.jp/guide/annai/?lang=en | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 8 | Osaka Castle Main Tower, guide (Japanese) | Closed 28 Dec–1 Jan; 9:00–18:00; ¥1,200, junior high and under free | https://www.osakacastle.net/guide/ | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 9 | Todai-ji, opening hours and admission | Great Buddha Hall Nov–Mar 8:00–17:00; ¥800 / ¥400 | https://www.todaiji.or.jp/en/information/haikan/ | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 10 | Asahiyama Zoo, events and opening calendar (Japanese) | Winter season 11 Nov–29 Dec and 2 Jan–7 Apr; 10:30–15:30 | https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/event/event.html | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 11 | Asahiyama Zoo, admission (Japanese) | Adults ¥1,000; junior high and under free | https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/generalinformation/d052849.html | 6 Nov 2026 |
Book for this trip
Affiliate links may be used; your price doesn't change.
- Tokyo hotels for 2 adults and 2 children, 29 Dec–2 Jan (4 nights), live prices in RM on the day you open it: Tokyo hotels on Trip.com
- Kyoto hotels for the same family, 27–29 Dec (2 nights, the Railway Museum's last open days of 2026), live prices in RM on the day you open it: Kyoto hotels on Trip.com
Before you fly: Map of 231 halal places & prayer rooms (US$6.99) — December Edition, 15 Nov.
A 7-day Japan itinerary for a family of four, December 2026: real budget in RM, 4-person hotels, halal food and prayer on your route (a map sample), and a what-to-book-when calendar (PDF, BM & EN). Sign up & download →