Does Yokohama observe Obon in July or August?
Yokohama observes Obon in August. Some Tokyo wards keep the festival in July, a holdover from the old lunar calendar. Yokohama and most of the Kantō region use the solar calendar directly, so the dates land on August 13-16 every year. August 15 is the main festival day.
The split comes from how the 7th month of the lunar calendar maps onto the solar year. Tokyo’s July Obon stuck with an older reckoning. Yokohama did not. For 2026 and 2027, the dates are fixed. Obon activities (visiting graves, lighting lanterns, family meals) cluster in the late afternoon and evening, when the heat eases.
What closes during Obon in Yokohama
Obon is not a national public holiday. Government offices, banks and post offices face no legal requirement to close. In practice, the private sector shuts down hard from August 13 to 16.
Corporate offices. Companies in Minato Mirai, Kannai and the surrounding business districts close for the four days or run skeleton crews. Assume no response from Yokohama-based contacts between August 13 and 16. Move meetings to the week before or after.
Banks. Branch counters at MUFG, Mizuho, SMBC and Resona close. ATMs at convenience stores (Seven Bank, Lawson Bank) stay open 24/7. Fees may apply for out-of-network withdrawals. Japan Post Bank follows the same pattern: counters closed, ATMs running.
Government offices. Yokohama’s 18 ward offices close. Residence registration, My Number card services and tax payments all stop. The city hall in Naka Ward closes too. Deadlines falling in the Obon window should be handled before August 10 or after August 21. Some wards offer extended Wednesday evening hours, but not during Obon week.
Department stores and shopping malls. Sogo Yokohama, Takashimaya, Landmark Plaza, Queen’s Square and MARK IS Minatomirai typically cut hours to 11:00-19:00. Some smaller mall tenants close for a day or two. Check individual store sites.
Restaurants. Impact varies sharply. Chain restaurants, fast-food outlets and convenience stores (Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson) keep normal hours. Independent spots in Chinatown, Motomachi and Noge often close for one to three days. A common pattern: shut August 14 and 15, reopen August 16 or 17. Ramen shops, izakaya and sushi bars near Yokohama, Shin-Yokohama and Kannai stations are more likely to stay open but may pull last orders to 20:00 instead of 22:00.
Transport. JR East, the Municipal Subway and the Minatomirai Line switch to holiday schedules. Fewer trains during peak hours. First trains still around 05:00, last trains around 00:00, but headways widen to 10-15 minutes on most lines. Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama runs a normal schedule and sells out fast. Book seats for August 12-17 at least two weeks ahead.
Taxis. Available 24/7. The late-night surcharge (typically 20% after 22:00) still applies. No change.
How Obon affects your plans
If you are visiting Yokohama. August 13-16 is not the ideal window. Many shops and restaurants close. The city goes quiet. The upside: major sites (Red Brick Warehouse, Cup Noodles Museum, Yokohama Cosmo World) stay open every day. Crowds thin out. No queues for tickets. For a specific Chinatown restaurant, call or check social media for closure dates before you go.
If you are doing business in Yokohama. Treat Obon as a dead week. Emails sit unanswered. Phones go to voicemail. Logistics companies cut staffing, so shipments slow. Get deliveries done by August 10. Push for decisions from Japanese partners before August 7.
If you are traveling through Yokohama. Trains run, but holiday headways mean fewer per hour. Allow extra connection time. Airport trains and buses to Haneda or Narita run reduced frequencies from August 13 to 16. Taxis are reliable but cost more.
When is Obon in Yokohama in 2027?
Obon 2027 falls August 13-16 again. Mountain Day lands on Wednesday, August 11, 2027. Some companies take August 12 off, creating a five-day block from August 11 through 16. The effective closure window may stretch longer than in 2026. Plan 2027 trips and business around that wider gap.