Japanese traditional art is one of the most popular reasons people are drawn to the country. Japan has a long history of making arts and crafts, and the superior level of Japanese craftsmanship is well-known all over the world. There are so many forms of arts and crafts, and the production areas are located throughout the country. In this blog, we will introduce you to the 6 most prominent forms of Japanese crafts and our favourite places to find them.
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We still recommend you travel from late March to April if you are travelling in Honshu, the main island of Japan (or into May if you are travelling to Hokkaido), but include a few different microclimate spots such as lower and higher altitudes, coastal towns and in the mountains to maximize your viewing.
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Kansai is a region of Japan located in the middle of Honshu Island. It includes iconic cities such as Kyoto and Osaka. Northern Kansai is the part of Kansai facing the Sea of Japan and its hinterland. Unlike its well-known counterparts, Northern Kansai is still largely untouched by mass tourism, full of authentic culture and natural beauty.
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Hokkaido is the northern end of Japan’s island and the largest prefecture in Japan. The capital city of Hokkaido is Sapporo, and it takes just less than 2 hours to fly from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri ) Japan is the biggest and most well-known winter festival in Japan.
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As you probably already know Japan has four seasons and each season has different colours. Japanese gardens have been an important part of Japanese art where you can enjoy the beautiful landscape in each season.
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Well, it isn’t quite that simple, and that is probably why you are asking it. Peak Cherry Blossom time is End March to mid April if you want to visit Honshu. Early January to early February to visit Okinawa. And late April to May to visit Hokkaido.
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When you think of Japanese Gardens, order and tranquility seem to spring to mind. There again, there are the Japanese sand and stone (or dry landscape) gardens made from such harsh substances yet they convey idealism and potential for contemplation on a totally different plane.
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The Japanese Macaque (commonly known as the ‘Snow Monkey’) is unique in its behavior. Best known because it takes to the geothermal spring waters in winter as a way to get warm. So the story goes, it is only a little over 50 years ago when a female monkey first started soaking in the spring water to get some warm comfort from the -15C they sometimes have to endure.
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On our research trip to Japan this July we were lucky enough to visit Kamikochi, one of the most scenic spots in Japan. Kamikochi approximates to ‘where gods decend’. It is an area surrounded by 3,000 meter-class mountains of the Japanese Alps, that stretches for roughly 10 kilometers along Azusa River.
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