Current Events > Best time to visit Japan?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Gimme some tips

Not summer, unless you plan for specific events.

depends on what you want to do. If youre just gonna play tourist, any time works. Most people just go around Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto. Stuff is always there.

Busiest times of year are end of March (end of the school year), July/August (summer break) and New Year.

Personally i think summers are disgusting here. If you dont mind tourist traffic, April is really nice. But there will be a ton of tourists.

Fall is great, especially October and November.

Cherry Blossom season

_____Cait posted...

depends on what you want to do. If youre just gonna play tourist, any time works. Most people just go around Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto. Stuff is always there.

Busiest times of year are end of March (end of the school year), July/August (summer break) and New Year.

Personally i think summers are disgusting here. If you dont mind tourist traffic, April is really nice. But there will be a ton of tourists.

Fall is great, especially October and November.

I was reading something that said April-first week of May is high season. Would Mid May be less touristy but still feature cherry blossoms?

Look up festivals first and plan to visit when they're being held.

AlCalavicci posted...

I was reading something that said April-first week of May is high season. Would Mid May be less touristy but still feature cherry blossoms?

no, you'd be lucky to even catch sakura at late april, even in the northern regions, at least outside of a couple stubborn trees. There's really not many chances of catching it and avoiding the massive tourist groups, especially when Japan just reopened and Chinese tourists are now allowed to go in groups by the Chinese government recently.

TetsuoS2 posted...

no, you'd be lucky to even catch sakura at late april, even in the northern regions, at least outside of a couple stubborn trees. There's really not many chances of catching it and avoiding the massive tourist groups, especially when Japan just reopened and Chinese tourists are now allowed to go in groups by the Chinese government recently.

Are there any non tourist places to see this at all like maybe a place that's just not very accessible to people who don't speak Japanese?

Probably? I haven't been to Shiroishi(first thing that comes to mind) during Hanami, but it was quite the ghost town when I went.

Just note that the farther you are from the big populations the more likely that the trains aren't all encompassing and you'll have to wait long intervals for busses or take a taxi. Oh and a lot of stuff are closed on Mondays and/or close at like 2pm.

Hamamatsu is a mid-size town with not many tourists, and Hanami happens around the end of March.

I'm leaving for Tokyo on Saturday.

:)

Not summer, not winter, not golden week.

if you do go during peak seasons then i suggest booking places you want to stay in at least half a year in advance.

_____Cait posted...

Fall is great, especially October and November.

I'm going during the fall. Definitely seems like a good time

I'm going to Tokyo this November. I've heard November is a good month to go.

Spring or Autumn. Not Golden Week. Cherry Blossom is too early for my taste.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Are there any non tourist places to see this at all like maybe a place that's just not very accessible to people who don't speak Japanese?

If you go to the southern island Kyushu in mid-March, you can see cherry blossoms just before high season starts, and on top of that it's not popular with tourists.

Miyazaki Prefecture is really beautiful, less famous with tourists, and has some awesome local specialties.

Spring for the cherry blossoms, and Fall for the perfect weather.

Sub 2010 it sucks now

Halloween :D

So many stores just giving out candy outside the front door :3

YugiNoob posted...

Halloween :D

So many stores just giving out candy outside the front door :3

That isnt a japanese thing and that is probably just a tokyo thing if it is even real. My town never does it.

Mating season

When they celebrate penises

_____Cait posted...

That isnt a japanese thing and that is probably just a tokyo thing if it is even real. My town never does it.

Yes its real, even if its region-specific. And so far Japan is the only place Ive been to thats done that.

DO NOT GO ON HALLOWEEN. It's recently become a holiday exclusively for foreigners to come and act loud, rude and disgusting while they litter and make the place generally gross.

MuscleRobo posted...

DO NOT GO ON HALLOWEEN. It's recently become a holiday exclusively for foreigners to come and act loud, rude and disgusting while they litter and make the place generally gross.

In all fairness thats because a lot of tourists are loud and rude compared to local Japanese folks, especially with the rise in social media where people want online notoriety :<

I mean it might be fun if you want to go to a foreigner district like Roppongi.

I'd consider going to Kyoto or Okinawa when it isn't too cold or hot.

YugiNoob posted...

In all fairness thats because a lot of tourists are loud and rude compared to local Japanese folks, especially with the rise in social media where people want online notoriety :<

Halloween has become a "Party Holiday" with a lot of yuppies coming in from American cities to hear DJ's and things in particular though.

Fucking baka gaijins trashing that beautiful country with their crude american sensibilities

Okinawa in peak summer is pretty great, nice beach weather but the beaches charge you money to enter, like $30, maybe more these days. At least they aren't crowded. We found a secret beach near our hotel with no entrance fee and just went there twice a day, once in the morning and again around sunset.

If you do go to Kyoto in summer there's a beach at Lake Biwa which is very cool. Lots of shady trees and Japanese hipsters.