When is the best time of year to visit Japan?

Best time of year to visit Japan

The weather in the north and south of Japan is very different. Northern island Hokkaido tends to be cold and Southern island Okinawa tends to be hot.

If you want to avoid the snowy season, visit anywhere during March-May or September-November. It rarely rains in these months, and the temperatures are not too extreme.

If you visit Japan in summer, there are many festivals you might want to look for - such as Hanabi Matsuri 花火祭り (fireworks festivals).

In winter, you can visit the onsen or try snowboarding.

To see the pink cherry blossoms visit around late March to early April. Try not to be too late because cherry trees are blooming quickly.

Spring

Spring in Japan, famous for the sakura flower (cherry blossoms), starts from March until May. If you want to see the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms along the streets, the best time to visit Japan in spring is from late March until early April. During this season, you can also enjoy the Hanami Matsuri 花見祭り, which means Flower Viewing Festival. The spring temperature is the right choice to enjoy a picnic in a Japanese park with your girlfriend or family.

3 Best spots to enjoy cherry blossoms in Japan:

1. Ueno Park, Tokyo

   Ueno Park is a well-known park. If you visit this place, you can enjoy pretty sakura with a pink color. The "Hanami Matsuri" festival is simple because there isn't any special ceremony. Usually, Japanese people will go for a picnic while enjoying seeing the cherry blossoms in front of the castle or park.

2. Arakurayama Sengen Park, Yamanashi

   Arakurayama Sengen Park is in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Arakurayama is one of the famous places to enjoy spring in Japan. Arakurayama has a beautiful view of cherry blossoms with the background of Mount Fuji. Inside the park, there is a 5-storied pagoda. During spring, surrounded by 650 cherry trees, looks beautiful.

3. Hirosaki Park, Aomori

   Hirosaki Park is a famous place to hold many events in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. This place usually hosts several seasonal events, also in during spring. The castle has decorated with around 2,500 cherry trees and flower tunnels with beautiful amazing pink views. If you visit at night, you will see the illuminations to experience Hanami during the Sakura festival, held every year from April 23 to May 5. To visit Hirosaki Castle, you can take the train from Aomori to Hirosaki Station, which will take about 30 mins. Next, you can take the Dotemachi bus loop to the castle.

Summer

Summer in Japan is famous for beaches and blue skies. The weather is warm and humid. Summer in Japan starts from early June to late August. Temperature ranges between 23°C and 35°C, be sure to pack some thin clothes.

The best time to visit summer in Japan is during August. We don't recommend visiting Japan in July as it rains almost every day in some regions of Japan.

2 Best spots to enjoy summer in Japan:

1. Vacation to Okinawa

   Miyako Island is an island located in the Okinawa strait. Although small, Miyako Island is a hidden gem with breathtaking scenery. Sub-tropical climate, with snow-white sand and turquoise water. Miyako island has three famous beaches. The first one is Maehama Beach, with beautiful sunsets. Do you love snorkeling? Yoshino Beach is the best place to try it and swim with cute and colorful fishes. And next is Sunayama Beach, famous for its natural stone gate - an Instagram spot!

2. Seeing summer vibes with blue skies in Tokyo

   Tokyo Skytree has a height of 634 meters or about 2080 feet. Because of this, it's one of the tallest towers in Japan. Tokyo Skytree has a large shopping complex with a giant aquarium.

   If you want to see the beautiful city from above, you should visit Tembo Galleria, the highest part of Tokyo Skytree. 445th and 450th floors at 441.2 meters above the ground. Here you will experience a view of Tokyo with background vibes of summer blue skies. They even have a glass floor. These are the reasons to visit Tokyo Skytree in the summer.

Autumn

Autumn in Japan starts from September to December. Autumn in Japan has many unique things to see, such as the brown and yellow color of the leaves and various festivals. The best time to visit Japan in autumn is in early November.

2 Best spots to enjoy autumn in Japan:

1. Yoshinoyama, Nara

   Yoshinoyama is in the south of Nara city. Here you can enjoy the beauty of brown trees during the autumn season, which starts in September. Thousands of maple trees will grow and turn in golden colors around the mountain.

2. Osaka Castle, Osaka

   If you visit Osaka Castle in autumn, you will find the perfect yellow and brown color of the leaves, especially in the ginkgo trees around the castle. Osaka Castle has long been known as the best place in Osaka to have a picnic, and aside from spring, when the cherry blossoms appear, autumn is also the best time to visit.

Winter

The last season in Japan is winter. Winter starts from late December until February. The cold air is not a problem for exploring the beauty of Japan. There are some fun attractions that you can only find in winter. Winter is the end of the year, and you are at the best time to enjoy the beauty of Japan differently. Visit at the beginning or end of the year. During winter, travelers visiting Japan usually enjoy the snow, onsen, and hunting for seafood culinary with a white color background.

2 Best spots to enjoy winter in Japan:

1. Sapporo Snow Festival, Hokkaido

   At this festival, you can see giant ice sculptures with unique shapes. Such as anime characters or some famous buildings in some movies, ramen, and beer cup-shaped sculptures on display. These reasons make travelers interested in Hokkaido in winter.

2. Shirakawa-Go, Gifu

   Shirakawa-Go, a traditional village with dozens of ancient buildings from hundreds of years, is located in Gifu Prefecture. The best time to visit Shirakawa-Go is when the snow starts to fall, the snow will cover most of the area, making the houses look even more beautiful.

These are the best periods of the year to visit Japan, so when do you think is the best time to visit Japan? And where will you go while in Japan? I hope that you love this article! Thank you for your time to read until the end.