Spring is considered to be the best time to visit Japan. Have you always wanted to visit Japan, but couldn’t figure out? Sometimes you just want to visit a place but you only have this amount of free time. Well, you’re in luck because Japan is one of those destinations you can travel to all year-round. Each season and month has its own attractions and an experience like no other.
Best Time To Visit Japan Is In Spring (Late March To Early June)
That’s because spring is when the cherry blossoms go into full bloom. Cherry blossoms are, in fact, synonymous with spring in the country. Their fragile flowers, which stay in bloom for only a week, are especially cherished by the Japanese because they symbolize the ethereal quality of life.
Locals and foreigners alike flock to the parks in the spring to watch the cherry blossoms, and they often bring with them tea and special springtime cakes. One of the most popular places for cherry blossom viewing in Osaka, particularly the Sakura-no-miya Park near Osaka Castle. The park boasts of around 4,000 ancient cherry blossom trees whose boughs overlap to create a pink-and-white canopy.
Summer Might Not Be A Good Idea
A lot of blogs are saying that summer is not a good time to visit Japan. Summer in Japan can be daunting. If it’s not raining, then it’s often very hot and humid, and the humidity can feel suffocating. But we beg to differ, summer in Japan can also mean a multitude of summer festivals, particularly the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka.
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The Gion Matsuri is Kyoto’s biggest and most famous festival, and it lasts the whole of July. The highlight of the festival is the Yamaboko parade, with its gigantic and elaborately decorated floats. The Tenjin Matsuri, on the other hand, is the largest boat festival in the whole world. Here you get to watch the people parade in traditional Japanese imperial court costumes and then board 100 colourful boats. These boats float along the Okawa River with fireworks as the backdrop.
If you want to escape the heat, you had better head north to Hokkaido. Hokkaido doesn’t have a rainy season and the humidity there is more tolerable. It’s a great place for hiking and for viewing summer’s fireflies, and the hot springs there typically light fireworks at night. You can also catch the Nakafurano Lavender Festival at Mt. Hokusei, the most popular festival in Hokkaido and the biggest lavender celebration in Japan.
Best Month To Visit Japan Is November Or During Autumn
While Spring is the best time to visit, autumn is a great season for a visit if you can’t make it in April. Autumn actually draws almost as many visitors to the country as spring does. In Japan, the leaves on the maple trees transform from green to vivid orange and red. The sky becomes bluer and the wind becomes crisp, perfect for afternoon walks. The chrysanthemum, Japan’s national flower, typically blooms in autumn.
One of the best places to experience these is by taking a leisurely walk on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where you’ll find the ginkgo trees turning golden for the season. Another great city to visit in autumn is Kyoto, which transforms into a vivid fall wonderland in November. You can ride a boat on the Hotsu-gawa River in Arashima or visit the Eikando Temple to view fiery red leaves on the trees.
Give Winter In Japan A Chance (Late December – Early March)
Skiing is a well-loved winter pastime in Japan, and the Japanese often travel north to enjoy the region’s thick and powdery snow. If you’re a foreigner, you’d probably be more comfortable staying at Niseko, a town in Hokkaido. Niseko is known for Mt. Yotei and the Annupuri ranges. There are six ski resorts in this town, and they are all westernized enough to cater to foreigners.
For a more traditional Japanese skiing experience, you’d want to head on to Hakuba in Nagano. It’s the largest skiing destination in Japan, and it boasts of more local colour than Niseko. It would be best for you to pick up a few phrases of Japanese before you go to Hakuba.
If you don’t feel like skiing, you can always go for some winter sunshine in Okinawa. Okinawa has some of the best beaches in Japan, as well as the best diving spots. The weather there is always mild and you can count on the water to be warm enough for swimming.
So when do you prefer to travel to Japan? Book your trip with us now and enjoy any season that you loved!
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