Japan is a gem of a country. With a rich history, lively culture, and beautiful people, it’s no wonder why visitors return again and again! Each month of the year offers different events, weather, and traditions to be a part of. Narrowing down when to visit this stunning country can be difficult, but we’re here to help! This guide breaks down what you’ll experience on an excursion through Japan for each month to make the decision-making process easier for you!
January and February
The beginning of the new year is quite busy in Japan, but still manages to feel very peaceful. The southern half of the country has dry and sunny days, with the temperature in Tokyo being about 36-50°F (2-10°C). However, if you head to the northern part of the country, such as Sapporo, you’ll experience snow that is perfect for winter sports! The average temperature in northern Japan is 18-30°F, or -1 to -8°C. In February, you should definitely visit Shirakawago, where you’ll get to see beautiful snow-covered farmhouses! Shōgatsu, or New Year’s Day, is a very important family-oriented holiday in Japan. One important ritual that people love to participate in on New Year’s is to go and watch the first sunrise! For many locals, it’s also important to participate in Hatsumode or the first visit of the year to a Shinto Shrine. For young adults, family members will give them decorative arrows called Hamaya. These arrows are associated with Coming of Age Day, a collective birthday celebration for everyone who turned 20 in the previous years! Hamaya is thought to ward off demons. This tradition is rooted in Samurai customs. The Sapporo Snow Festival occurs during the first two weeks of the month. The downtown core of the city is decorated with stunning snow and ice sculptures! People come from all over Japan, and the world, to attend this festival. The Japanese cherry blossoms are world-famous, but did you know that in February, you can also view the plum tree blossoms? The best place to do this is in Kairaku-en in the city of Mito!
March and April
March is a transitional period between winter and spring. The weather slowly starts to warm up, with Tokyo getting temperatures about 41-55°F (5-13°C). Many locals like to travel during this month, with schools going on spring break. April is one of the busiest months to visit Japan. Temperatures rise in April, reaching up to 20°c in the south. It is highly recommended to book well in advance if you intend to travel to Japan during this month. One of the biggest holidays of March is Girls Day! This day is meant to celebrate young girls, and hope for their health and happiness. This holiday is typically family-oriented, but there are ways for visitors to experience is as well. In the fishing village of Chiba, locals display traditional Japanese dolls on the stairs leading to the Tomisaki Shrine. At the end of March, Tokyo hosts AnimeJapan, the biggest anime fan convention in the world! This event has performances, special announcements, and many people dress up in cosplay! One of the biggest draws of April for travelling to Japan is Sakura, or cherry blossom season. The entire country is covered in these beautiful trees; it’s a bucket list experience for sure! The best cities for cherry-blossom viewing are Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. April is also the month of Golden Week, a collection of holidays that fills the entire last week of April/early May with parades, parties, and beautifully decorated streets! The city of Inuyama is a must at the beginning of the month. Since 1635, this city has held a parade featuring antique floats. The floats feature stunning decoration, and giant mechanical puppet that tell stories of the area from the Edo-era. Lastly, if you happen to be near the mountain village of Takayama in mid-April, you should definitely attend the Takayama Spring Matsuri. This spring festival features parades, lanterns, and even a traditional lion dance!
May and June
Cherry blossom season may be slowing down, but May and June are still a wonderful time to visit Japan. The main tourist areas are quiet, and the vegetation is lush and green once again! In Tokyo, temperatures range from about 59-73°F in May, and 66-77°F in June. In other parts of the country, such as Okinawa, these months are the rainy season. In mid-May, Kyoto hosts Aoi Matsuri. This is a reenactment of a traditional 6th-century imperial procession. Although this event is more “sombre” than other Japanese festivals, it is authentic and an amazing experience. Thousands of unmarried women apply to be selected as the events honourary imperial princess, who wears an elaborate kimono. Held in Tokyo from May 10-24 in 2020, is Sumo Summer Basho. This is one of the 3 professional sumo tournaments held throughout the year in Tokyo, and features the best sumo wrestlers in the country! Tokyo, along with the city of Kagoshima, has a joint festival called Ohara Matsuri. This festival has traditional taiko drumming, and over 2000 dancers performing the Ohara dance. June is a great time to visit Sapporo outside of the skiing season. In early June, over 300 dance teams from all over the country travel here to compete in the Yosakoi Soran Festival! Mid-June will also have the Hokkaido Shrine Festival. This event attracts more than 1 million people, and features mikoshi ( portable Shinto shrines), massives parades, and delicious street food!
July and August
The summer months in Japan can get pretty warm, reaching up to approximately 88°F (31°C). At the start of July, Mount Fuji opens up for the climbing season, which brings in many adventure travellers. If you prefer a beach vacation, Okinawa is a great destination to visit! In late-July, you should definitely attend the Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata. This music festival (one of the biggest in Japan) is so much fun, and features big-name indie bands as well as up-and-coming artists! The entire month of July in Kyoto is spent celebrating Gion Matsuri, a massive float festival, with some of the most elaborate floats weighing up to 13 tonnes! On July 27th, head to Tokyo’s Asakusa district, for the world’s oldest fireworks show called Sumidagawa. Anime fans, listen up! The city of Nagoya hosts the World Cosplay Summit in early August. People from over 30 countries come to compete in this cosplay tournament! On August 6th, people travel to Hiroshima for the Peace Lantern Ceremony, a memorial to those who lost their lives during the atomic bombings.Thousands of lanterns are floated down the river. It’s an emotional and powerful experience.
September and October
During these months, Japan is transitioning between seasons. It’s recommended to not travel to Okinawa or any of the nearby coastal cities during September, as this is peak typhoon season. October is a lovely time to visit this country, as the summer temperatures are still around, but it’s much less humid. The trees also get their stunning Autumn colours! The full moons are especially vibrant during this time of year, so many locals like to participate in tsukimi, or moon-viewing. It’s also a fun tradition to eat tsukimi dango - mochi, which are pounded rice dumplings that look like moons! September is the time to travel to cities like Yamanashi or Wakayama, for Kyoho grape picking season. Many local farms will have all-you-can-eat grape picking, a fun activity for people of all ages! On a weekend in the middle of the month, thousands of people from around the world travel to Chiba, for the Tokyo Game Show! This video game conference features competitions, exhibition stands, and product launches in the industry. If you like racing, make sure to be in Japan in mid-October for the Japan Grand Prix, the last race of the Formula one season. In Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, the streets comes alive on Halloween! Thousands of people spend their night here, in some of the most elaborate and fantastic Halloween costumes.
November and December
The final two months of the year in Japan are fairly quiet and relaxing. In southern Japan; temperatures range from about 50-63°F in November, and 41-54°F in December. The weather is much colder in northern Japan. A local favourite in November is Shichi-Go-San (the 7-5-3 festival) girls aged 7 and 3, and boys aged 5 are dressed up by their parents in traditional kimonos and suits for their first time, and head together to Shinto shrines to receive blessings. Design Fiesta also takes place in early November, and features the talents of local designers, artists, dance, and musicians, held in Tokyo. In December, all the major cities in Japan are lit up with brilliant Christmas displays! The city of Nara hosts the Kasuga Wakamiya Festival in mid-December. This massive parade has over 500 people dressed in traditional Henian-era clothing! Finally, if you’re in Japan for New Year’s Eve, it’s a tradition to eat toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles) to promote luck and longevity for the upcoming year. At midnight on the 31st, all the temples in Japan will ring their bells exactly 108 times, a ritual believed to purify the people of the 108 sins of the Buddhist faith.
When would you want to visit this stunning country? Acanela Expeditions offers year-round departures to this stunning country, where you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a traditional tea ceremony, visit a sake brewery, and take cooking classes on the local food! Sign up for a Japan Expedition with Acanelatoday for the adventure of a lifetime!
Post Written by Demitria Rounis