Japan Is Getting a 10-Day Vacation To Celebrate the New Emperor, and People Aren’t Happy

To celebrate the ascension of its new emperor and the start of the Reiwa era, Japan is giving everyone in the country a 10-day vacation. In addition to April 29, May 3, May 4, and May 5 — already a public holiday known as “Golden Week” — Japan will give its citizens extra vacation, resulting in 10 consecutive days off, from April 27 to May 6. You’d think that Japanese citizens would be overjoyed by the news, booking family vacations or romantic getaways — and many of them are — but a surprising number are actually complaining about the time off.

As reported by The Guardian, according to a survey by Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, 45 percent of respondents said they “felt unhappy” about the long vacation, while only 35 percent “felt happy” about it, citing boredom, crowded tourist spots, lack of income, or difficulty obtaining childcare. Indeed, hourly workers will see their pay decrease, and investors are concerned that a lengthy market shutdown could disrupt the stock market.

Yasuo Sakuma, chief investment officer at financial services firm Libra Investments, told The Japan Times, “It’s horrifying that we can’t trade for six business days.”

Even considering Japan’s infamous work-centric culture, we can’t imagine anyone not being over the moon with getting a break from work.

H/T: Insider