Greetings, friends. Every season in Japan is remarkable in its own way. Today, for example, March 3rd is “Girls' Day” or as the Japanese call it “ひな祭り・ひなまつり・hina matsuri”. Every house where there is a girl in the family is decorated with special figurines. To protect her from harm and bring health and happiness to her. So, in this article, I will tell you when is the best time to go to Japan and how vacations differ in different seasons.
If you are planning to travel around Japan for the first time, then the best time for this will be the period that begins in March and ends in May. Also, the favorable time to visit this country is from September to November - at this time it is not so cold in the main part of Japan and you will not have to weigh yourself down with warm clothes.
For lovers of skiing and snowboarding, January-February will be suitable (February is usually the snowiest month). As for those who want to swim, on the island of Honshu, this is best done in July, early August - jellyfish appear later. For this reason, in some places there are prohibiting signs. But even where they are not there, it is better to remember that starting around the 10th of August, it is quite possible to encounter a poisonous jellyfish. You may also need swimsuits in September. You can see an interesting selection of swimsuits here https://www.amarea.kiev.ua/.
But if you are traveling to the Okinawa area (to the southernmost islands), then you can swim here much earlier. As one friend who lives in Okinawa told me: “the temperature here does not drop below 15° in winter. It’s true that there is an unpleasant sea wind.”
Now let's look at each season in more detail to understand why exactly it is attractive.
Spring in Japan
Spring in Japan is one of the best times of year to visit. Of course, Spring in Japan is, first of all, HANAMI (花見) - “Admiring flowers”, and first of all it is Sakura!
Sakura begins to bloom in January on the island. Okinawa, but the flowering of the main 4 Japanese islands “approaches” only in Spring, namely: from March to May, sakura blossoms from the lower (southernmost) island of Kyushu and goes up through Kyoto, Tokyo reaching the northernmost island - Hokkaido. More specifically, around April, sakura blooms in Kyoto and Tokyo, and at the beginning of May - in the region to the north (Tohoku).
The best place to admire sakura is in Shinjuku Gyoen Park, which I wrote about in an article about the best parks in Tokyo.
It’s also equally cool at this time of year to visit Ueno Park, where the entire road is strewn with cherry blossom petals. Unfortunately (or fortunately), cherry blossoms are a fleeting process, only 8-10 days, so don’t miss the moment!
Sakura in Ueno Park
Let's figure out what else you can see in Japan in the spring?
Plum blossoms (UME 梅) are no less beautiful than sakura, they are even somewhat similar to each other. From the end of March to the beginning of April, it will be difficult to distinguish Sakura from Plum by sight, only by smell (plums smell more pleasant).
Plum
There's more to come for sakura lovers! After the cherry blossoms, other beautiful plants begin to bloom in the month of May, such as Azalea (アザレア), Shiba-zakura (芝桜) and Wisteria (藤), which is called like Mount Fuji, only written with a different hieroglyph.
Shiba-zakura on the island. Hokkaido
A recommended place to admire Shiba-zakura is Kawaguchi-ko (河口湖) in Yamanashi Prefecture, with Mount Fuji as a backdrop. A very worthwhile spectacle. By the way, Shiba-Zakura has nothing to do with the word “Sakura”; it is a completely different plant.
Shiba-zakura in Kawaguchi-ko
What else to see in spring in Japan? Hmm... for those who like something unusual, you can go to the penis festival in Kawasaki, which takes place on the first Sunday in April (you can read more here).
Not the best time to travel to Japan in the spring season
At the end of spring (from approximately April 29 to May 6), Japan hosts “Golden Week”, the so-called. “golden week” is approximately the same as our May holidays (in terms of the duration of the festivities). Everything will be more expensive than usual, including travel costs, accommodation, etc. Hotels will be sold out long before you even think about booking them , etc. And this applies not only to Tokyo, but to all of Japan. Of course, it’s cool to see how Golden Week goes, but if you’re traveling as a tourist for 14-15 days, then this is not the right time to travel, in my humble opinion.
Spring in Japan | Summer in Japan | Autumn in Japan | Winter in Japan
Turn on idle mode
Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Archipelago
See how to get to Okinawa cheaper by clicking on the photo!
Ask any Japanese where to take the perfect vacation, and they will immediately blurt out “Okinawa!” The southern archipelago is loved for its snow-white beaches, palm groves and turquoise water. Choose one of the islands scattered in the warm sea - from April to October it is comfortable everywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytdevru
On Taketomi, where instead of taxis they ride buffaloes, it’s good to escape from civilization. Snorkelers will love Ishigaki, where coral forests grow just meters from the shore and colorful parrotfish glide by. It’s worth visiting the island of Iriomote for the dense jungle that occupies a good half of the island, and on Kuma for the natural pools in the rocks.
Also interesting: The best beaches in China: Sanya, Hainan, Hong Kong and more
Summer in Japan
In my humble opinion, summer is the worst time to visit Japan. Already from June the rainy season begins until the end of July, the so-called. Tsuyu (梅雨), as well as other weather conditions. Summers are very hot and humid, with temperatures rising well over 30 degrees and humidity around 90%, so summers in Japan are quite “harsh”.
True, in the summer it’s not entirely so terrible - between mid-May and early July, hydrangea (Ajisai アジサイ) and Iris (菖蒲) begin to bloom in Japan.
Hydrangea
Iris
Iris blossom
Many interesting things bloom in summer
Climbing Mount Fuji
It’s sad to say, but only in the summer can you officially climb Mount Fuji. “When can I go to Fuji?” , - you ask. The official season is open from July 1 to August 27. Afterwards you will not find rescue services or other necessary “gadgets” for climbing the mountain. So if you want to climb Mount Fuji safely, your only option is summer!
Also, only in the summer in Japan there are a lot of festivals with equally spectacular fireworks!
Fireworks in Kobe
Spring in Japan | Summer in Japan | Autumn in Japan | Winter in Japan
Autumn in Japan
September
There is nothing special in September: hot, humid, typhoons in places (September seems to have the most of them). True, the end of September, in my opinion, is a very good idea to go to Japan. At a time when it is already cold in the Russian Federation, Japanese September pleasantly pleases with its warmth. There are not many tourists in September, so it will be relatively “free”.
October November
My most recommended autumn , namely October-November (especially November). Why? Yes, because in October there is such a wonderful time as Momiji 紅葉 (or also called Ko:yo:), which translated from Japanese means “Red Leaves”, this is the so-called. “Admiring the scarlet and yellow maple.” I highly recommend watching Momiji in Japan.
Recommended places for Momiji (TOP-3)
For me personally, the most memorable places for Momiji were:
1) Mount Takao (Tokyo, Mid-End November) - I wrote about it in my microblog Life in Japan.
Mount Takao - Entrance
2) Kiyomizu-dera Temple, so-called. “Temple of Clean Water” (Kyoto, End of November-Beginning of December) - I wrote about it in my microblog Life in Japan.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
3) ALL OF KYOTO! ( Late November - Early December) - Momiji in Kyoto looks beautiful everywhere!
In general, if you really want to plunge into the world of admiring Momiji , be sure to go to Kyoto . There you can truly appreciate all the beauty of Japan. If cherry blossoms go “bottom-up” across the islands (from South to North), then in Momiji it’s the other way around (from North to South), so you can easily see Momiji in Tokyo first, and then go to Kyoto, as I did I. It's just that in my opinion, almost all the good places to admire Momiji are located in the Kansai region, namely in Kyoto. The one and only place in Tokyo is Mount Takao.
Typically, Momiji peaks in November. In November, you can watch Momiji in Tokyo and Kyoto and in cities such as Okayama, Hiroshima, etc. If you asked me which I like better, Hanami or Momiji, I would say Momiji. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful time of year in Japan!
Spring in Japan | Summer in Japan | Autumn in Japan | Winter in Japan
Get to know Buddha from the inside
Kamakura city, Honshu island
Bronze Buddha in the ancient city of Kamakura on the island of Honshu
The ancient town of Kamakura impresses with the number of sacred places with history. Take a look inside the huge bronze Buddha, who has been meditating on a lotus for more than 700 years. In case he decides to move on and wander around Japan, there are giant straw sandals hanging in the Kotoku-in Temple. Be sure to go up to the Hasedera Temple, which offers wonderful views of the city rooftops. The largest wooden statue of the goddess Kannon in Japan is impossible to miss, but you will have to look for the entrance to the Zeniarai Benten cave shrine.
When the impressions are overflowing, a stone path through the bamboo thickets near the Hokoku Temple will lead you to the tea house. To boost your energy, enjoy a cup of matcha green tea with our signature crispy dove cookie.
Winter in Japan
If in early winter everything is very beautiful (because there is also “Momiji”), then by January-February the landscapes become a bit boring. The leaves are falling from some trees and there is no snow. If you are planning to go to Japan in winter (January-February), then it is better to go to more northern regions (i.e. Tohoku-Hokkaido), because... there will be very beautiful snowy landscapes.
Sunset in Japan in winter is already at 16:30 and at 17:00 it is very dark, all tourist places close earlier than usual.
The only beautiful winter month, in my opinion, is December. Below I will explain why.
Illumination
During the New Year holidays you can find Illumination everywhere. Usually Illumination begins on the 15th of December and ends at the beginning of January. Absolutely everything is decorated for this time of year.
A very beautiful sight.
Onsen - Hot Springs
Winter is the best time of year to visit Onsen, hot springs. For example, you can combine visits to Onsen and Mount Fuji. Of course, Mount Fuji is closed to visitors in winter, but you can enjoy the nearby hot springs while looking at the beautiful scenery of Mount Fuji, which is almost always visible in winter, because... In winter there is quite low cloudiness. In my opinion, the best place for this is Kawaguchi-ko (河口湖) in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Yuki Matsuri in Hokkaido
If possible, I advise you to visit Yuki-Matsuri 雪祭り, so-called. “Snow Festival”, which takes place in Sapporo 札幌, on the island. Hokkaido 北海道.
At the end of December - at the beginning of January it will be difficult to get anywhere, because all of Japan is going to their hometowns, or traveling, etc., so I recommend taking care of your accommodation and plan in advance, because... everything will be booked and sold out. However, at this time it is very interesting to watch how the Japanese celebrate the New Year and other holidays.
What time of year in Japan do you like best, dear friends? Share your impressions and suggestions in the comments. It is very interesting to read your impressions of this or that time of year in Japan.
That's all I wanted to tell you about what time of year is best to travel around Japan . Thank you for reading us. If you liked it, rate it below, comment and subscribe to our groups on social media. networks to follow new articles.
New Year holidays: ILLUMINATION TOKYO
Winter nights in Tokyo would be dark and chilly if it were not for the stunning illuminations that illuminate the entire city with millions of bright lights during the New Year holidays. Each district of the capital has its own light installations, and there is even an unspoken rivalry between municipalities as to whose installation will be recognized as the best in Tokyo.
Many people come to look at the colorful neon garlands that create an indescribable feeling of celebration. Don't be afraid of a light frost: put on a warm jacket, hat and scarf and go for a walk through a shining winter wonderland. Buildings, trees and numerous landmarks (like Tokyo Tower) are beautifully illuminated with LED lights and projection images. This is perhaps the best way to feel the charm of winter Tokyo.
One of the most colorful illuminations in Tokyo during the winter festival is located on Marunouchi Naka Street, which is lined with fashionable boutiques and cafes. The light installation in front of the Carretta Shiodome shopping and entertainment center in the Shiodome district is no less beautiful. This shopping mall receives more than half a million visitors a year!
