When To Visit Japan

   

When the locals go sightseeing in Japan, they travel to a rhythm. Every attraction has a right and wrong to visit. A particular temple will be crowded with people one week when its flowers are in bloom and empty the next week.

Whether you want to join the crowds or avoid them, it can be good to know a little about Japan's seasons, events, travel peaks and the flavor of each month.

In terms of weather, locals might recommend Japan's pleasant spring in April or May. Alternatively, the autumn weather of November is also a popular time to travel. June is widely considered the worst time to visit Japan because it's the rainy season. However, armed with an umbrella travelers can find deals in June.

Travel prices in Japan vary greatly from one week to the next based on weather, events and seasonal attractions in each city. Japanese holidays such as Golden Week and Obon dramatically increase hotel prices.

The following is a month by month overview of weather, events and seasonal attractions across Japan.

January

January is the coldest month of the year in Japan but it's also the sunniest month in Tokyo. Travel prices are reasonable with the exception of Japan's New Years holiday. It's the best month of the year for ski conditions with dry powder in many regions of Japan. The events of January include a mountain burning ritual and a lucky bamboo branch festival.

February

The weather remains cold in February but events start to pick up nonetheless with a number of excellent winter festivals. February is the start of spring according to the old Japanese lunar calendar. This is marked by a tradition of throwing beans at devils. Other February events include the Tokyo Marathon.

March

Most regions of Japan experience some pleasant spring weather by the end of March. Ski conditions start to decline but some ski resorts will manage to stay open until May. Cherry blossoms begin to bloom in the middle parts of Japan including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. This is many people's favorite time of year. Anywhere cherry blossoms appear you'll find hanami parties under the trees.

April

April begins with cherry blossom season and ends with a holiday known as Golden Week. It's a month of pleasant early spring weather in most parts of Japan. Many of April's events are designed to welcome spring.

May

May is the last month of fine spring weather before most regions of Japan plunge into rainy season. The month is filled with festivals, events and holidays. Both Tokyo and Kyoto fit their biggest spring festivals into May.

June

June is rainy season in every area of Japan except Hokkaido. Rainy season is a very particular type of weather pattern that produces grey, cool days that are strangely humid. Despite the rainy season, June isn't the rainiest month of the year in Tokyo.

It's an excellent month to seek travel deals in Japan. The month of June does offer a few events, particularly in Hokkaido where clear spring days can be found.

July

July gets off to a slow start. Much of Japan is still stuck in rainy season for the first few weeks of July. In the second half of the month the rainy season stops, school holidays start, beaches open and the summer festival season explodes into life.

August

August is extremely hot and humid in Japan. Travel prices are high from the day that school children get out for summer vacation in late July and peak during the Obon holiday in August.

August is busy with festivals, hanabi and other events. It's common for Tokyo to hold multiple events that attract more than 1 million people on the same weekend. There's an intense energy in the air, perhaps it's driven by the hot weather.

September

September is prone to typhoons and is the rainiest month of the year in Tokyo. Children go back to school and travel prices get a little better although several national holidays in September push prices up again. The festival season quiets down and is replaced with sporting events and industry conferences such as the Japan Grand Prix and Tokyo Game Show.

October

The weather turns dry and cool as October progresses towards autumn. Travel prices tend to be reasonable. The month has a wide variety of events including industry conferences, autumn festivals and historical reenactments. Halloween is also increasingly popular in Japan in recent years.

November

November is cool and crisp with autumn leaves appearing in many regions of the country. Travel prices can be expensive in areas that are known for autumn leaves such as Kyoto and Nikko. November events include sumo in Fukuoka and a cultural demonstration at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.

December

December gets cold but it's the sunniest month of the year in Tokyo. People throw forget the year parties and it's a surprisingly busy month at Tokyo's izakaya and karaoke. Japan's many large cities are decorated with Christmas illuminations and department stores buzz with shoppers. The early ski season begins at some resorts in most years.

Reference : www.japan-talk.com