#so. 3 months from jul 25 is the end of october. meaning it would be cut a little close but. if they give us something like a few shuffles-

[mayoiayasep]

anw here's how the mayoi 7 mysteries tour can still win-

[rosesvoyages]

When should you visit Japan?

The eternal question. There are obviously pros and cons to travelling to Japan at any time of year and having lived a whole year’s worth of seasons I would say each has their perks.  I have listed below my opinions for each season for your perusal in order of my preference for visiting:

1. Spring:

Average Temperature Tokyo:  Mar 9˚C Apr 14˚C May 18˚C

 I am not immune to the charms of spring in Japan.  I was sceptical before I lived there, what’s the big deal about blossom trees, I thought? Spring begins with the plum blossoms in early March, the smaller and less glamorous cousins of the cherry blossoms. Then the sakura come into bloom in late March, unmissable, in your face, every tree seemingly is a cheery cherry blossom.  There is a forecast of how the cherry blossom front moves throughout Japan from numerous sources including here.  I fell in love with cherry blossom and I always love to see them.  They are spectacular and so many themed goods are also available. Every food is sakura flavoured, including coffees and a carnival atmosphere descends on uptight Japanese society.  Public drinking in parks is the norm, everyone goes to hanami (blossom viewing) and in general it is a lovely time to visit.

I would say, temperatures can be fairly bracing.  Whilst nowhere near as bitterly cold as winter, a jacket is still required and it can often be quite rainy.  The other main con is the constant tourists who clog up the sites and drive up the prices. Flights are about £100-£200 more than usual during this period.  Just after sakura season (i.e. 8th-22nd April) is normally a nice time to travel, you can still catch the end of the blossoms, much more impressive than the beginning and all the themed goods.  The weather is getting slightly warmer, around 14˚C each day in Tokyo, and I find it better than the rush of the final week of March/first week of April.

2. Autumn:

Average Temperature Tokyo: Sep 23˚C Oct 18˚C Nov 12˚C

 Second best is Autumn. Little known by comparison to Sakura is Momiji or Koyo.  Domestically, the red leaves of autumn are almost as popular as the cherry blossoms.  Resplendent, and let’s face it a more mature colour pallet for us all to get behind, the russets, golds and oranges of autumn are a wonderful backdrop to view Japan.  The weather is often more pleasant to go sightseeing in than the more extreme seasons of summer and winter.  September is what I as an English woman would call summer weather, and even October is still warm.  There is also Momiji themed food and other cute items to buy so I think it is a firm second place season.

A con of travelling in autumn is that you may think it would be boring.  Red leaves are not that interesting, although they are very impressive in Japan.  It may lack the extreme wow factor held by the other months, although I do believe taking all things into account this is a real contender and a dark horse. Sometimes, it can be rainy and November starts to get a little frosty and grey.

3. Winter:

Average Temperature Tokyo: Dec 8 ˚C Jan 5˚C Feb 6˚C

 Now I must say it is a tossup between winter and summer for me and my ‘third favourite’ season to visit. Winter has won this position simply because of the quaint charm and festive period.  There is warming foods such as oden (boiled goods soups).  If you think of Japan in winter one famous image is the snow macaque monkeys bathing in hot springs.  This is viewable all year round in Jigokudani, near Nagano about 4 hours outside of Tokyo, although there is something special about the idea of snow monkeys!  Japan is very picturesque and snow certainly shows it off.  There is the famous Sapporo Snow Festival where giant snow sculptures are exhibited if you fancy travelling as far north as Hokkaido.  Of course there is also skiing, if you’re into that. Christmas in Japan is purely aesthetic and consumerist, with KFC being the traditional Christmas meal for most, so that is a fun culture shock if you fancy spending that period abroad.  New Year’s is more comparable to a western Christmas idea and is a family and religious celebration.  Oshougatsu as it is called in Japanese is also the time for lucky bags (pot luck discount bags from shops) and mass sales.

Cons include the bitter, bitter cold weather.  Japan certainly gets cold in winter and in metropolitan areas it may not snow that much. When it does snow it may mean that the usually very good transport system can shut down and of course getting around can be less pleasant by foot with ice and slush on the ground.  Traditional Japanese buildings can be badly insulated.

4. Summer:

Average Temperature Tokyo: Jun 21˚C Jul 25˚C Aug 26˚C

 Summer is a joyous time in Japan.  There are frequent matsuri or festivals, meaning that there are firework displays and yukata (summer kimonos) almost every day.  There is more or less constant sunshine so sightseeing need not be impeded by bad weather.  Every building will have air con to help you relax in the heat.  Japan has many beaches and whilst it may not strike one as the obvious place to go for bikini sessions, why not take a refreshing swim in the sea or a lake to keep cool in the summer?!

The biggest problem is the extreme heat and humidity.  I have never known anything like it, although I am a heat wuss.  It is often too hot to move around and so seeing things outside a building can be unpleasant.  Obviously, the solution is to take constant breaks for drinks and stay hydrated, so it is not an insurmountable problem!  In August there is also Obon, a big Japanese festival which involves everyone travelling biblical style back to their home towns, so check ahead to ensure you don’t get caught in the melee.  A note for foreigners, shoulders should be covered to be respectful and it is very common to see Japanese women, despite the extreme heat wearing t shirts under their outfits to keep modest!