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Spring
Spring is a wonderful time to be in Japan. Temperatures are mild during the day
and cool at night with just the occasional shower. Of course, the main attraction
is the blossoming of the cherry trees which begins in Kyushu and the south in
late March and continues throughout April. No weather forecast is complete without
a flower-speckled map showing where the buds are fully opened and where the petals
are just peeping through.
If you plan to come to Japan during hanami (flower viewing) don't miss the chance
to party under the blossom laden branches and enjoy the outdoors while the sun
is warm and the air is fresh. Barbecues, cold beer and karaoke are the traditional
accompaniments to cherry blossom season so forget about that quiet stroll in the
park!
Watch out for... Golden Week
With a cluster of national holidays bunched up around the end of April and the
beginning of May, it's time for Japan to take a holiday. With seemingly the entire
population on the roads, the trains or in the air, this is the worst time of year
to be on the move. Hotels and resorts fill up quickly too, so if you are coming
around this time, book transport and accommodation in advance. |
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Summer
Some will tell you that summer is too hot to be in Japan but the heat certainly
doesn't stop the Japanese from having fun. From July to August some of Japan's
biggest, most spectacular festivals are held and there's no better way to experience
the sights, the sounds and the mystery of Japanese culture - all with a good dose
of raw excitement thrown in!
With the raucous abandon of townsmen shouldering their hulking festival floats
and portable shrines through the streets, stalls selling all manner of fun foods
and trinkets, girls wearing their brightly coloured yukata, traditional dances
and music and spectacular fireworks displays, summer festivals are the perfect
way to celebrate away the heat.
Gion Matsuri, Kyoto
Japan's most famous celebration. Festival floats festooned with colour and lavished
with gold are pulled through streets resounding to the music of flutes and drums.
Every year some 3 million people come from all over the world to see it.
Throughout July, parades held on the 16 & 17th
Sumida
River Fireworks Display, Tokyo
With a history dating back more than 200 years, this is an opportunity for Japan's
renowned fireworks artists to show off their wares to an astounded audience numbering
hundreds of thousands.
Towards the end of July
Awa
Odori Festival, Tokushima
Thousands take to the streets to dance the bon odori, a simple dance said to entertain
the spirits of one's ancestors. Colourful parades and lively music create a contagious
carnival atmosphere.
Around the 2nd weekend of August
Watch
out for...The rainy season
From mid-June to mid-July is tsuyu, the rainy season during which it rains almost
every day. When not raining it is generally humid so this is not an ideal time
to come to Japan. |
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Autumn
The crisp air and clear blue skies of autumn make it a great time to be outdoors.
The mild and pleasant weather makes walking, hiking and sightseeing a great pleasure.
Not to mention the fabulous colours of the autumn leaves that deepen as the season
goes on, giving us a spectacular climax to natures annual display.
Numerous places are much vaunted as autumn leaves viewing areas. Particularly
famous are Nikko, site of the mausoleums of the Shoguns, the hills of Arashiyama
in Western Kyoto and Hakone, an onsen town under the watchful eye of the great
Mt. Fuji. Many shrine and temple gardens too are planted with the small-leafed
maple trees that give the Japanese autumn its individual character. You'll see
their delicate shape repeated wherever you go, on souvenir cakes, shop windows,
even garnishing your food, showing you just how passionately loved they are in
Japanese culture.
In rural areas you can see farmers working in the fields and harvesting the year's
rice crop and, later, the gathered rice in bundles lined up on bamboo poles to
dry in the sun. Other much-anticipated signs of autumn are the tangerines, chestnuts
and highly-prized matsutake mushrooms that you will see in markets all over the
country.
Watch out for... Typhoons
September is typhoon season and though most run their course out at sea, one or
two sweep across the mainland bringing with them strong winds and plenty of rain.
During this month it is best to keep an eye on the numerous weather updates that
track the progress of typhoons and pack accordingly. |
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Winter
Japan's combination of numerous mountains and copious amounts of winter snow makes
it a wonderland for skiers and snowboarders alike. More snow drops on Japan than
any other country of comparable latitude in the world. Nagano, Japan's most popular
winter sports destination, is famous for hosting the 1998 Olympic Winter Games
and has facilities that rank alongside the best in the world. Spectacular scenery,
superb apres ski entertainment and all the excitement of a fascinating culture
make Japan the place to experience the slopes as you've never experienced them
before.
Winter is also the ideal time to enjoy onsen. Nothing can beat the feeling of
slipping into a rock-lined bath of natural hot spring water in the open air while
the snow falls all around you. That is unless you have a floating tray laden with
sake or a cold beer within easy reach!
There are hot spring areas all over Japan and Japanese-style hotels and inns often
have their own hot spring baths. This winter why not combine the thrills of the
slopes with the indulgent pleasures of the onsen for a uniquely Japanese winter
holiday.
Time to eat... Seafood
The colder the water, the better the seafood so if you're coming for the sushi
you're in for a treat. The fish market sushi bars of Hokkaido and the Japan Sea
Coast are the places to be for crab, shrimp and all kinds of fish in glorious
abundance. For a culinary adventure, head to Yamaguchi or Oita for that uniquely
Japanese delicacy, the potentially deadly fugu (blowfish). |
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