![]() ![]() March Best for: day tripping on the shinkansen If you plan on staying in a traditional ryokan, many properties aren't equipped with proper heating, so the accommodations can be quite cold, but they make up for it with invitingly steamy baths. Fuji, where you can unwind in your bath while snow falls softly around you. Japan has tons of onsen destinations, like Hakone a must-visit mountain town nestled in the foothills of Mt. Onsens, or mineral-rich hot springs, can be particularly relaxing in the winter. Whether you plan on spending your trip skiing or sightseeing, a relaxing soak in an onsen is a quintessential winter activity in Japan. Japan has tons of ski resorts, and once you see powder like this, your first Japanuary pilgrimage definitely won't be your last. Every winter, cold Siberian winds carry snow across the Sea of Japan delivering perfectly fluffy, deep, something-to-write-home-about snow. If the term "Japanuary" is in your vernacular, you're probably familiar with the epic amounts of powder that make Japan's northern island of Hokkaido a ski and snowboard paradise. January Best for: shredding the powder in Hokkaido If you’d like to maximize your chances of experiencing cherry blossom season in Japan, you should plan your visit for between the middle of March and the middle of April. The Japan Meteorological Corporation starts providing bloom maps and forecasts beginning in January every year. There are no set dates for the season since the blooms rely on environmental factors, but there are many websites dedicated to keeping you updated on the status of the beloved trees. By mid-May, most flowers have usually opened, even in northern cities like Sapporo. Nagasaki and Hiroshima, for example, sometimes see a full bloom emerge by the first week of April, while Tokyo sees its peak in the middle of the month. These blush-coloured flowers begin emerging in spring, with a slightly earlier bloom time in the south than in the central and northern regions. When is the best time to visit Japan to see the cherry blossoms?Ĭherry blossom season is a spectacular, albeit very crowded time to visit Japan. October is still jeans and a light jacket weather, though, with fewer crowds and less rainfall, making it a good choice. That being said, the dead of winter can be a little, well, dead. If you want to beat the bulk of the crowds, the best time to visit Kyoto is between October and March. As with Tokyo, summer and late spring are the busy tourist times. Kyoto has a long summer, with temperatures warming up in May and staying hot through September. ![]() The summer months of June, July and August may be busy, but they also offer an abundance of festivals and revelry to indulge in, so don't write them off automatically. ![]() Of course, as the most populated city in the world, Tokyo is always fairly crowded. April offers a sweet spot that combines average temperatures of 14☌ (58☏), less rain than the summer, and a respite from the crowds that descend on the city in May. Tokyo is an attractive destination throughout the year, with mild temperatures (outside the depths of winter), though June and September can bring high rainfall. The forests of Yakushima are beautiful year-round, but trekkers should plan on layering up from November to April, as this island outpost stays chilly for much of winter and spring. If you plan on hiking through the deep south of Yakushima, keep in mind this rugged island is colder than the rest of the region. The months of April and October offer warm weather without the excessive rain that hits the south hard in summer. Southern Japan benefits from less tourism than the north and central regions of the country, which means that even if you travel in the traditional tourist 'high season' of spring and summer, you’ll find it quieter than the hotspots. When is the best time to visit southern Japan? Depending on what you want to see, how many people you want to share it with, and your tolerance for rain, we’ve prepared a month-by-month breakdown to weigh up the best time and places to travel in Japan. The best time to visit Japan is between March and May and between September and November as it's both warm and dry between these periods. However, the joys of springtime and the iconic blooming of the cherry blossoms in Japan are no secret, which means you'll be sharing the space with plenty of other travellers. ![]()
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