Lunar New Year 2027 in Japan: Busiest Days & When to Book
Your flight from Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul or Singapore lands in Japan on Friday 5 February 2027, the eve of Lunar New Year — and so do a great many others. The holiday calendars of all four places line up that week, so the same few days carry most of the arrivals and the same few carry most of the departures. This article gives each market's official 2027 holiday dates, the days to expect the biggest crowds, and how far ahead to book an airport transfer or an intercity car so the holiday doesn't start in a taxi queue.
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When is Lunar New Year 2027 in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore?
Lunar New Year's Day falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. Because it lands on a weekend, each government has added make-up or substitute days, and the breaks come out at different lengths:
| Market | Official 2027 holiday | Why those dates |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | Thu 4 – Wed 10 February (7 days) | New Year's Eve is Friday 5 February; the first and second days fall on Saturday and Sunday, so Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 February are make-up days |
| Hong Kong | Sat 6, Mon 8 and Tue 9 February (Sun 7 is a Sunday) | The second day falls on a Sunday, so the fourth day, Tuesday 9 February, becomes the substitute general holiday |
| South Korea | Sat 6 – Tue 9 February | Seollal itself is Sunday 7 February in Korea; the three-day break is 6–8 February and Tuesday 9 February is a substitute holiday |
| Singapore | Sat 6 – Sun 7 February, plus Mon 8 February | Monday 8 February is a public holiday for anyone whose rest day falls on Sunday 7 February |
| Japan | Thu 11 February | National Foundation Day — also the last day of the Sapporo Snow Festival |
Taiwan's seven-day break is the longest. Travellers who add two days of leave, Thursday 11 and Friday 12 February, get eleven days off in a row, from 4 to 14 February.
Which days will Japan's airports and roads be busiest?
Put the four calendars side by side and the pattern is clear. This is our reading of the official holiday calendars, not airline booking data:
| Days | What overlaps | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 4 – Sat 6 February | Taiwan's break starts on the 4th; Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore travellers leave on Friday evening or on New Year's Day itself; the Snow Festival opens on the 4th | Busiest arrival days |
| Mon 8 – Wed 10 February | Singapore's break ends on the 8th, Hong Kong's and Korea's on the 9th, Taiwan's on the 10th | Busiest departure days |
| Thu 11 February | Japanese public holiday; last day of the Snow Festival | Domestic holiday traffic, especially in and around Sapporo |
On those days you can expect busier immigration halls, longer taxi queues and fuller airport trains than in an ordinary February week. A pre-booked car doesn't make the road any emptier. What it changes is that the car is already yours, the price was fixed when you booked, and the driver is waiting in the arrivals hall when you walk out. On airport pickups timed to your flight, free waiting is 90 minutes counted from your actual landing, which matters when immigration is slow — our article on Japan's immigration lines covers what actually gets you out faster.
How far ahead should you book an airport transfer or intercity car?
As early as your flights allow — especially for the arrival and departure days above. The latest you can book on the website is the same in any week:
Online booking: in the Tokyo and Osaka–Kyoto areas (including Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Itami airports), up to 4 hours before pickup — bookings made between 20:00 and 08:00 Japan time can start from 12:00; elsewhere, and for charters, until 20:00 Japan time the day before the ride. Subject to availability. For anything sooner, message us on WhatsApp and we'll check whether a car can be arranged.
Pickups more than 50 km from our nearest base — ski hotels in Niseko, Furano and Rusutsu among them — also need at least 24 hours' notice. There is no rush fee and no night surcharge, and a booking made in January costs the same as one made today.
Booking early doesn't mean paying early. Reserve now, pay later — ¥0 today. Your card is charged automatically 48 hours before pickup, and cancellation stays free with a full refund until 24 hours before pickup. If the airline cancels your flight or moves it to another date, it's your choice: rebook the pickup free onto the new flight, or take a full refund — even inside 24 hours.
What to book first:
- The arrival pickup if you land on 4–6 February, and the airport drop-off if you fly home on 8–10 February.
- Intercity legs on the same days — Tokyo to Hakone, or New Chitose to a ski resort — since they fall on the same busy days.
- Groups of 5 to 9: one HiAce carries up to 9 passengers with 9 large suitcases and 9 carry-ons — or up to 6 skiers with a suitcase and a ski bag each — so book it as early as the flights allow.
What does a transfer cost during Lunar New Year?
Exactly what it costs the rest of the year. Prices are fixed per vehicle, with tolls, parking, fuel and taxes included:
| Route | Toyota Alphard (up to 4 passengers) | Toyota HiAce (up to 9 passengers) |
|---|---|---|
| Haneda → central Tokyo | ¥16,000 | ¥20,000 |
| Narita → central Tokyo | ¥24,000 | ¥30,000 |
| Kansai Airport → Osaka city | ¥19,000 | ¥24,000 |
| Kansai Airport → Kyoto | ¥30,000 | ¥34,000 |
| New Chitose → Sapporo | ¥31,000 | ¥34,000 |
| New Chitose → Niseko | ¥70,000 | ¥77,000 |
| Fukuoka Airport → Hakata Station | ¥19,000 | ¥24,000 |
| Tokyo Station → Hakone | ¥40,000 | ¥45,000 |
Lunar New Year trips are often family trips, and families often arrive as six, seven or eight. For comparison, the largest car Uber lists at Japan's main airports takes 5 passengers, and 9-seat jumbo taxis must be reserved in advance, while one HiAce carries up to 9 passengers with 9 large suitcases and 9 carry-ons — ¥30,000 from Narita, about ¥3,333 each when nine travel together. Child seats are ¥2,000 each, requested at booking and fitted before pickup.
Train or car during the holiday?
It depends on who's travelling. For one or two people with carry-on bags, the train or airport bus is far cheaper: the Narita Express to Tokyo Station is ¥3,140 a person, and the JR rapid from New Chitose to Sapporo ¥1,230. The car starts to make sense when:
- You're a family of four with suitcases. Four Narita Express tickets come to ¥12,560 before you've moved from Tokyo Station to the hotel; the Alphard is ¥24,000 to the hotel door.
- Grandparents, toddlers or strollers are coming. Holiday trains are at their fullest on exactly the days you'll travel.
- You carry ski gear. With a suitcase and a ski bag each, an Alphard takes up to 2 skiers and one HiAce up to 6.
- You land late. Fixed prices carry no night surcharge, and the driver tracks your flight.
Snow Festival week: what changes in Hokkaido?
The 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival runs from Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February at its three sites — Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome — so in Hokkaido the Lunar New Year rush and Japan's biggest winter event arrive together.
- Airport to the city: New Chitose to Sapporo is ¥31,000 for an Alphard or ¥34,000 for a HiAce, about 50 minutes. For one or two people, the JR rapid is the better buy.
- Ski legs: New Chitose to Niseko or to Furano is ¥70,000 / ¥77,000. Pickups at the resorts for the trip back are more than 50 km from our nearest base, so they need at least 24 hours' notice as well as booking by 20:00 Japan time the day before, subject to availability.
- Winter roads: from November to April the cars run on studless winter tyres as standard — nothing to request.
Our Sapporo Snow Festival transfer article covers the three sites, Tsudome with children and combining the festival with a ski trip.
Can you book and talk to the driver in your own language?
The booking page is in English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese and Korean, and customer support answers in English, Japanese and Chinese. Most drivers have basic English and use a translation app to communicate. RydAgent's driver network is majority Mandarin-speaking, so most rides can be done directly in Chinese: write 「希望中文司機」 in the booking remarks and a Chinese-speaking driver is arranged free; if one can't be arranged for a particular ride, we tell you in advance. More in our article on Chinese-speaking drivers.
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Related reading: Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 transfers · Taiwan to Japan by flight · Hong Kong to Japan by flight · Korea to Japan by flight · Singapore to Japan by flight.
Sources (checked 3 November 2026): Taiwan Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, 2027 government office calendar; GovHK, General holidays for 2027; Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 2027 calendar data; Singapore Ministry of Manpower, Public holidays; Cabinet Office of Japan, National holidays; Sapporo Snow Festival. Transfer prices are RydAgent's published fixed prices as of November 2026; train fares are the operators' published adult fares.
Frequently Asked Questions
Train or private car from the airport during Lunar New Year 2027 — which is better for a family?
For one or two people with carry-on bags, the train: the Narita Express to Tokyo Station is ¥3,140 a person. For a family of four with suitcases, the car: RydAgent's fixed price from Narita to central Tokyo is ¥24,000 for a Toyota Alphard (up to 4 passengers), the same in the holiday week as in any other, with the driver waiting in the arrivals hall. A group of 5 to 9 fits one Toyota HiAce (up to 9 passengers) for ¥30,000.
When is Lunar New Year 2027, and how long are the holidays?
Lunar New Year's Day is Saturday 6 February 2027. Taiwan's holiday runs Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February (seven days); Hong Kong's general holidays are 6, 8 and 9 February, with the 7th a Sunday; Korea's Seollal break runs Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February; Singapore's public holidays are 6 and 7 February, and Monday 8 February is a holiday for anyone whose rest day is the 7th.
Which days will Japan's airports be busiest around Lunar New Year 2027?
Reading the four official holiday calendars together, arrivals into Japan should peak from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 February and departures from Monday 8 to Wednesday 10 February, as Singapore, then Hong Kong and Korea, then Taiwan head home. Thursday 11 February is also a Japanese public holiday and the last day of the Sapporo Snow Festival. This is a calendar-based estimate, not airline data.
How far in advance should I book an airport transfer in Japan for Lunar New Year?
As soon as your flights are fixed. Online booking: in the Tokyo and Osaka–Kyoto areas (including Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Itami airports), up to 4 hours before pickup — bookings made between 20:00 and 08:00 Japan time can start from 12:00; elsewhere, and for charters, until 20:00 Japan time the day before the ride. Subject to availability. The holiday days fill up first. With Reserve now, pay later you pay ¥0 today, and cancellation stays free until 24 hours before pickup.
Do transfer prices go up during Lunar New Year in Japan?
Not with RydAgent. Prices are fixed per vehicle and don't change by season, with no holiday surcharge, no rush fee and no night surcharge: Haneda to central Tokyo is ¥16,000, Kansai Airport to Kyoto ¥30,000 and New Chitose to Sapporo ¥31,000 for an Alphard. Tolls, parking, fuel and taxes are included.
Does the Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 overlap with Lunar New Year?
Yes. The festival runs 4 to 11 February 2027 at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome, the same week as the Lunar New Year holidays. New Chitose to Sapporo is ¥31,000 for an Alphard or ¥34,000 for a HiAce, and from November to April the cars run on winter tyres as standard, with nothing to request.
What happens if my flight is cancelled during the holiday rush?
If the airline cancels your flight or moves it to another date, it's your choice: rebook the pickup free onto the new flight, or take a full refund — even inside 24 hours. Send us the airline's notice or your new flight details.
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