Hello, What is the best time of year to go to Japan? I am thinking of going to Japan in late September/early October as it%26#39;s more possible for me but am wondering whether I shouldn%26#39;t try and go in May for the cherry blossoms. I know they%26#39;re amazing but is it a big thing to go so far and miss these should I go in the autumn. What is the weather like at these times, is it warm?
Thanks for your advice.
Best time to go to Japan
May (after Golden Week is over) is a lovely time to visit Japan, but the cherry blossoms are largely over. You might find them in Hokkaido if you get there early enough in May. Here is a rough guide:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_when.html
Late September/early October is okay. Too early for fall foliage and it could still be hot but much better than early September. Here are some numbers:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2273.html
Best time to go to Japan
It could still be quite hot and humid in October, but much better than the June/July rain and extreme July/August heat and humidity.
The cherry blossoms are indeed wonderful, as are some of the blossoms on the earlier blooming trees. This slightly earlier period is also a nice season, when many of my Japanese friends take a traditional trip to the nearby forest to pick early-sprouting wild vegetables and enjoy nature.
Each season has it%26#39;s benefit. Late September/early October is great because there are less tourists. There aren%26#39;t many Japanese holidays in that time frame and in general schools aren%26#39;t on vacation, both in Japan and abroad. The weather is perfect; you might get a late-season typhoon, but that only serves to clear the pollution from the air and isn%26#39;t too much of an inconvenience. Otherwise, it is warm but not too hot, a little cool at night but not too cold. You can also see some nice festivals (harvest themed) in early/mid autumn.
May is almost the same. Avoide the first week of May; it%26#39;s the Golden Week holiday (late April early May) and everybody in Japan is off and thus will be traveling (even in these tough economic times). Tourist traffic is up slightly compared to early autumn, but not much.
Early spring is when you can see the cherry blossoms; late March or early April, in general. It%26#39;s hard to predict with any accuracy, but if you go in that time period you might miss the peak but you will still be impressed. Also, the trees don%26#39;t peak at the same time around the country; so Tokyo or Kyoto might be past peak, but Takayama might be just right. Crowds are a bit more of a problem; not much, but everybody is trying to see the cherry blossoms (with good reason).
November is when you really see the autumn colors; maybe it says something about my personality, but I%26#39;d rather see the autumn colors than the cherry blossoms any day. But this can be harder to predict because a year%26#39;s worth of weather contributes to when and with what intensity the trees color. Still, Kyoto or Nikko (maybe more than Kyoto) is amazing when the trees are changing.
Summer is hot, and it rains a lot in June/early July. There are a lot of tourists in summer, because most of the world (including Japan) is on vacation. August is your peak because of the obon holiday on August 15; most people have the week off. You can see some great festivals and fireworks displays, though, and that can make it worthwhile.
Winter is a rough time to travel. New Years is great; it%26#39;s cold, but there are great festivals the week after New Years (in Japan they celebrate more after the New Year rather than before, like we do in the West; for example a New Years card must arrive on or after Jan. 1). Other than that, January and February are cold. However, there aren%26#39;t many tourists, and you can see some tremendous snow. There%26#39;s also nothing like taking an outside onsen bath with snow around you.
This is my summary of the seasons; I know it%26#39;s more than you asked for, but I hope this helps.
Good luck!
John W.
September is still darn hot %26amp; humid, but October is lovely, as is November. ';Leaf-viewing'; season is very busy here, with the Japanese all making excursions to see the autumn foliage, but it is truly lovely!
Late spring is also nice and you will avoid the crowds of domestic tourists if you travel after Golden Week (early May). June is nice, too, but can get humid and may rain a bit as rainy season starts in mid-May. (no rainy season in Hokkaido, however)
Thank you for all your replies.
I%26#39;m considering November then as it seems a good time to go. What is the weather like at this time, is it cold or failry mild. Coming all the way from the UK it would be nice to visit when the weather is pleasent at least. In this respect would late March or November be a better time to visit?
If you visit in late March you won%26#39;t quite make it for cherry blossoms. November you will be in time for the autumn colors. Weather ranges from cool to a tad chilly, but if you have a coat you%26#39;ll be fine.
That%26#39;s good to know, many thanks again for your advice Maneki-neko.
The last week of March is usually the peak of the cherry blossoms in many parts of Japan. They are predicting an early arrival this year (as early as March 20th in Tokyo.) It is the best time to go to Japan, IMO. See:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html
Wow, that%26#39;s really early! It has been a fairly warm winter this year, so if they bloom in March it wouldn%26#39;t surprise me! (My daffodils are blooming now!) I have 2 cherry trees in my yard and usually have cherry blossom viewing parties slated for the first 2 weeks of April but it looks like I may have to change my plans! :-O
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