When to Travel to Japan

Summertime in Japan is humid and hot. Regardless of the climate it is the time when some of the greatest festivals happen. The Tohoku region has the Three Great Summer Festivals, which are located in Aomori, Akita and Sendai. Aomori Nebuta Festival has parades of large lanterns made out of paper. It takes a full year to create one of the floats and the designs are based on folklore or historical figures. During the procession you are allowed to join as a dancer as long as you have the proper outfit, which can be purchased. The Akita Kanto Festival is a spectacle to admire as groups of individuals balance long bamboo poles with lanterns on their head, hip, shoulder, and hand. These poles can weigh over 100 pounds and it will leave your heart racing as you watch them balance the props. The Sendai Tanabata Festival has giant streamers decorating the shopping arcades and festivities happening all over downtown. It is also known as the star festival and you can see many bamboo attached with the wishes of different individuals. In other areas of Japan there is the Gion Festival, which is a month long celebration in Kyoto. There are processions that happen on different dates and there are times when you can watch the people assemble the floats without the use of nails as it is tradition. Summer is the time when lavenders are in season. One of the best places to see them in mass is in Hokkaido. The weather will be nice and cool for those that travel there in the summer.

Autumn season in Japan is a time where everything you had seen before changes color. When traveling around the nation the famous sites are surrounded with colors of red, brown, yellow and green. It is the added autumn hues that make it more special than in other times in the year. The weather is cooler, but not too much that you are shivering. The Shrines and Temples of Nikko are majestic around this time. The UNESCO World Heritage Site would be surrounded by autumn leaves and a gentle gust would cause them to fall as you walk under pass the trees. It is like the world has returned to a peaceful serenity as you watch the bright maple leaves fall. The extra charm of the autumn season makes any destination in Japan more special than usual. In Takayama the autumn festival features a different set of yatai (floats) that is meant to compliment the season. The floats are elaborately decorated and showcase the famous craftsmanship of Takayama. Even visiting the various sites of Kyoto in the autumn season gives off a different feeling compared to other seasons.

Winter season in Japan has heavy snowfall in some areas. This means you can see some great natural sights around Japan. In Nagano you can see the snow monkeys relaxing in the onsens (hot springs) in the area. Zao in Yamagata Prefecture has the snow monsters all around the mountain. This refers to the trees that get encased in snow and ice creating these figures that look like some sort of monster. There is even a festival around this time centered on the Zao Snow Monsters. Further up north at the shores of Abashiri is the ryuhyo (drift ice). It is when big chunks of frozen water gather together making it look like it is frozen. There are ice breaking cruises that goes through the water and you can see the spectacle up close. You can even go Wakasagi Smelt Fishing in some areas in Hokkaido, which is the equivalent of ice fishing, but they fry the small fish onsite. Aside from the natural occurrences let us not forget the large winter festivals happening. The Sapporo Snow Festival is one of the largest in Japan. It is a full week of winter festivities ranging from ice sculpting to slides made out of snow. Even the stages used for performances are made out of snow and at night the snow sculptures are illuminated. There is also the Otaru Snow Light Path in the nearby city that has many snow lanterns scattered around the city of Otaru. It is a romantic type of celebration, but it does not stop you from enjoying the lights.