It's that time of year again. Golden Week is almost upon us. Golden Week is one of the three major holiday periods in Japan, with many Japanese workers taking advantage of national holidays falling on consecutive days to take one long vacation.
The other 2 holiday periods (Summer and Winter long holidays) are usually spent at home due to the Summer heat of August for Obon, and the freezing cold Winter temperatures of Oshougatsu. Because Golden Week is at the beginning of May, many workers take the opportunity to travel around Japan with their families so they can enjoy the lovely Spring weather.
Also Read: HOW DOES OBON AFFECT SHIPPING?
Also Read: THE IMPACT OF JAPAN'S NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS ON ZENMARKET ORDERS
In 2025, Golden Week will begin on Showa Day on Tuesday, April 29, and will last until Tuesday, May 6. Therefore, the holiday vacation in Japanese companies can last up to 10 days (April 26 - May 6).
Because these holidays are national, you can expect that this puts pressure on logistics centers that need to deal with staff shortages throughout the period. In addition, retail stores often close up or run at a limited capacity as they struggle to keep up with the volume of online orders.
See below our pickup schedule for various shipping methods over the Golden Week holiday period:
| |
04/29 |
04/30 |
05/01 |
05/02 |
05/03 |
05/04 |
05/05 |
05/06 |
05/07 |
05/08 |
| Japan Post |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Fedex |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| DHL |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| UPS |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| SF Express |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
| ECMS |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
| ZenExpress |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
❌ |
✅ = pickups will occur on this day. ❌ = pickups will not occur on this day
How will Golden Week affect ZenMarket Orders?
Regrettably, ZenMarket is of course not immune to these delays.
We ask our customers to please be considerate of the following:
- Our purchasing team will be running at a limited capacity during Golden Week, which could increase purchasing times for non-automated purchasing methods.
- Some stores you ask us to purchase from may be closed, so even if we purchase items, the items may take longer to be dispatched and reach our warehouse.
- Domestic shipping providers may receive increased order volumes while operating with reduced rosters, resulting in potentially longer delivery times.
- ZenMarket's packing warehouses will be running at limited capacity, so when items do arrive, it may take longer to pack and dispatch your parcels.
- When your order is packed, allow some extra time for your parcel to arrive compared to usual, as postage and courier companies deal with the backlog following Golden Week.
ZenMarket promises to do our best to make sure your purchases are made as quickly as we can, but we ask for your patience during this period.
Thank you for your understanding. Happy Shopping!