Here are some dates to keep in mind when doing business in Japan.

Time:  Japan is 14 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 13 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) from April to October.  Consequently, 8:00 a.m. EST in New York City corresponds to 10:00 p.m. the same day in Tokyo.  8:00 p.m. EST in New York City corresponds to 10:00 a.m. the next day in Tokyo.

Hours:  The typical Japanese workweek is Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., although many Japanese office workers put in long hours of overtime.  Flex work hours have become popular at some large companies.  Interestingly, the overwhelming majority of Japanese take their lunch break promptly at 12:00 noon and return to the office at 1:00 p.m. sharp.

Holidays:  When a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a compensatory day.  In addition, many Japanese companies and government offices traditionally close during the New Year's holiday season (December 28-January 3), "Golden Week" (April 29-May 5) and the traditional “O-Bon” Festival (usually August 12-15).

In 2009, Japan will observe the following official national holidays:

New Year's Day                  January 1 (Thursday)
Adult's Day                         January 12 (Monday)
National Foundation Day     February 11 (Wednesday)
Vernal Equinox Day            March 20 (Saturday)
Showa Day                         April 29 (Wednesday)
Constitution Memorial Day May 3 (Sunday, to be observed Wednesday May 6)
Greenery Day                     May 4 (Monday)
Children's Day                    May 5 (Tuesday)
Marine Day                         July 20  (Monday)
Respect for the Aged Day   September 21 (Monday)
Autumnal Equinox Day        September 23 (Wednesday)
Health & Sports Day            October 12 (Monday)
National Culture Day           November 3 (Tuesday)
Labor Thanksgiving Day      November 23 (Monday)
Emperor's Birthday              December 23 (Wednesday)