I’ve travelled to Japan multiple times, throughout different parts of the year and have come to learn there are certain months or seasons that would be better for travel, especially as a first timer.
Winter - great for snow sports, Christmas illuminations or the snow festival in Sapporo (February), very cold
Spring - super busy with the cherry blossoms, prices tend to be a bit higher and travelling throughout Golden Week (a week of bank holidays in April/May) can be difficult
*There are different species of blossoms all throughout Japan which bloom at different times during spring, usually starting from southern Japan and they only tend to bloom for one week, so it can be tricky to align your travel
Summer - would reconsider and choose another season for travelling! The heat and humidity is like no other, and this is coming from someone who lives in Australia. Unless you’re planning on spending all your time in Okinawa or in Hokkaido, which tends to be a bit more mild, I probably wouldn’t recommend it
Autumn - my personal favourite! The temperature is much cooler, the weather is nicer and the leaves start to change colour, especially around November
As for holidays, Christmas isn’t a public holiday in Japan so your travels won’t be affected, however, there are usually lots of closures between January 1-3, which is when people travel back home to visit their families for the new year.
Hope this helps any future travellers looking to travel to Japan!
Wow, thanks @kate25 for all the info, it’s so great to hear from someone with so much experience travelling through Japan! I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, and like most people, cherry blossom season always seemed the ‘must do’. But i’m a fan of travelling on ‘off/shoulder’ seasons and from reading your post, Autumn looks like the best time for me (although it might not be for a year or 2)!
Are there any particular places you recommend visiting in Japan over others?
I totally agree, I only travelled there for Autumn and the weather was perfect! Chill clothes and a light jacket for when it gets darker is all you need, plus the red leaves in the national parks are absolutely beautiful!
@ck_explorer1000 my favorite places were Kyoto (3-4 days), Nara (1-2 days), and Hiroshima (1 day). I personally recommend booking a night in a temple to experience that part of the culture. That was for me THE core memory of Japan!
I went twice in winter to Hakuba and for people that like snowsports, Japan has some of the best snow in the world. Hakuba is also super easy to get to. If you fly to Tokyo/Narita, there are direct bus services from the airport
I visited Japan in April 2019 and man the cherry blossoms were so awesome! Especially at Himeji Castle! So stunning with all the trees in full bloom! Just like out of a fairytale!
I went to Okinawa in November - was great, not too hot, but it was on the heels of a few typhoons be conscious of the funky weather!
We then went to “mainland” Japan in January, and it was brilliant! While it was cold, we had a whole week of sunshine, which was great for exploring Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara.
I just returned from a tour that started in the beginning of November. And I found the weather to be great. During the day I mostly wore a t-shirt and jeans. Some days were so sunny I could wear shorts. I only had one day of rain in 14 days. In the evening I wore a light jacket.
