Spring season in Japan lasts from March to May. It is a popular season to see the cherry blossom in bloom all over the country. There are the famous places to see them like Ueno Park in Tokyo or Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, but it is not the only plant blooming in the season. There is the wisteria, also known as fuji in Japanese, that blooms around the beginning of May. The Wisteria Tunnel at Kawachi Fuji Gardens is worth the trip to see the flower. It is a sight that will leave people breathless. Let us not forget the Fuji Shibazakura Festival by the Fuji Five Lakes. It is a festival where millions of bright colored moss phlox are in season and are arranged in a beautiful way. Imagine seeing this field with the majestic Mount Fuji in the background. It is also a time when azaleas are in season too and can be seen at the Mifuneyama Rakuen. There are also a few festivals that happen around this time that attract thousands of people. The Takayama Spring Festival has elegant and elaborate yatai (floats) parading around the town. It is a sight that makes you appreciate the hundreds of years of craftsmanship put into these floats. Another festival that keeps alive historical times is the Kyoto Aoi Festival. The festival has a procession where 500 people are dressed in clothes based on the Heian Period (794-1185). There are plenty of places to see and go around the season for people who like the spring season.

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.

When is the Best Times to Visit Japan for Cherry Blossoms

The best times to visit Japan for cherry blossoms for Central Japan is usually from late March through early April, though it might start a little earlier or end a little later, depending on weather and temperature. If you travel to cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, the cherry blossoms should be opening during this time. Cherry blossoms bloom all across Japan, beginning down in Okinawa in early February and reaching Kyushu and the main islands in late March. You see the small pink buds begin to open all across the main island of Honshu from late March to early April, with one notable exception: Kawazu. The city of Kawazu is home to a special kind of cherry blossom - the Kawazu cherry, which blooms earlier than usual. The best time to see these special blossoms is around mid February to early March, when the city hosts the annual Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival. Cherry blossoms finally reach full bloom in Hokkaido in early May.

When is the Best Times to Visit Japan for Autumn Leaves

November is the best time to catch autumn leaves in Japan. During this month, the leaves gradually reach peak colors throughout Japan, though many of the leaves begin to color as early as Late September, and fall to earth as late as December. Deciduous trees including the maple, zelkova, and rowan have bright orange-red or dark red leaves in autumn, while the ginkgo presents leaves in bright sunshine gold. This is one of the best times for a walk in a Japanese garden, since changing trees are such a huge part of Japanese landscape garden building. Especially some Buddhist temples stand near these magnificent autumn scenes, making this a good time to visit a temple in Kyoto. Although colorful autumn leaves can be seen anywhere in Japan at this time, some trees change earlier due to the elevation and the type of tree.

When is the Best Times to Visit Japan for Festivals

The best time to visit Japan for festivals depends on which festival you are interested in. Japan has exciting, unique festivals in every season. Summer is the season with the most matsuri festivals, and is considered the Japanese matsuri season. These summer festivals are held in cities across Japan, and usually feature a big fireworks display and a lot of festival food, like fried chicken, pork, and soba, and grilled octopus. The more famous summer festivals are held in July, like Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, or in August, like Tokushima's Awa Odori. The three Great Summer Festivals of Tohoku are also held in August, making it one of the best times to see a Japanese festival. Japan also has festivals celebrating the coming of spring, with cherry blossoms and other flowers, or other cultural festivals. Find the festival of your choice from the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival in February to the Kyoto Aoi Festival in May. The old city of Takayama has a gorgeous Spring Festival and colorful Autumn Festival, occurring in April and October respectively. February is the best time to see a winter festival in Hokkaido, and if you go to Sapporo, you'll enjoy the city's Snow Festival, which features massive snow buildings and other creations.

When is the Best Times to Visit Japan for Flowers

Different flowers bloom in Japan at various times of the year, so when to visit Japan for flowers will hinge on which ones you are most interested in seeing. Spring is, of course, one of the best and biggest seasons for flowers in Japan. Travelers visit the main island during this time for cherry blossoms - the most important flower of the season. One of the earliest cherry blossom flower-viewing festivals takes place in February in Kawazu city, where the locals gather to enjoy the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival and eat sakura cherry-flavored sweets. From late April to early May is great to stop in Tochigi for the Wisteria, draped elegantly over Ashikaga Flower Park. May is the perfect time to see millions of baby blue eyes at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki, and the shibazakura phlox moss covers parts of the Fuji Five Lakes in a pretty festival of fuchsia, white, and purple. Summer is Hokkaido's best time for flowers - a look at the lavenders of Farm Tomita is especially prized by flower lovers. Japan has numerous popular flower gardens available at certain times throughout the year, including roses, chrysanthemums, tulips, and sunflowers.

The least expensive time to visit Japan will be any time outside the peak travel season - especially late January to February. During times when there are a lot of travelers, flights and prices of hotels increase because of the high demand. National holidays and celebrations see a lot of travel in Japan, which include the first week of May (called "Golden Week"), Japanese New Year (the first three days in January), and Silver Week (the second week in September). The national celebration of Obon in August is also a popular travel time. In addition, seasonal events, like cherry blossoms in March and April, and fall colors in November are also high travel periods. So, from after Japanese New Year in January to the start of the cherry blossom season in March is one of the least expensive times to tour Japan. The daytime weather is brisk, but usually clear, although the daylight hours are short.
Carefully consider not only when the least expensive time to travel to Japan is, but what experience you want to have and what you want to see when determining the best time for you to visit.