Last day of work, two days early in 2025

December 28th is known as "Goyo-osame" in Japan. In government offices, this day  marks the final day of work for the year before the New Year's holidays. However, 2025, is a public holiday. In that instance, the "last day of work" is the Friday immediately preceding it. Therefore, in 2025, "goyo-osame" is Friday, December 26th, two days earlier than normal.

As far back as 1873, government offices have been legally required to take the holidays from December 29th, with December 28th being the last working day and the "last day of work." Currently, this is determined by the "Act on Holidays for Administrative Agencies," which came into effect in 1988. Likewise, January 4th is usually the "first day of work". But because it falls on a Sunday in 2026, the first day of work will be January 5th. Giving people a longer holiday than usual. 

Some government offices and companies hold "last day of work ceremonies" at the end of the year and "first day of work ceremonies" at the beginning of the new year. However, in recent years, as part of "work style reform," there has been a movement to abolish these ceremonies in order to make it easier to take consecutive holidays over the New Year's holidays.