Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Japan’s Cherry Blossom tours. As the delicate pink flowers bloom across the country, they create a picturesque landscape, making it the best time of year to experience Japan’s natural beauty and culture.
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.
Japan has a quite few national holidays in May and one of them is Children’s Day (KODOMONO HI ), celebrated on 5th of May every year. It started as a celebration for boys, to wish them a healthy and happy life. It has now developed into a celebration for not only boys but for all children.
Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in Japan? Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14th around the world and generally people exchange candy, flowers and gifts between loved ones and special friends. Indeed, when the tradition started men gave gifts to ladies they secretly admired.
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.
The cherry blossoms usually start fully blooming in the southern part of Japan around the end of March and gradually move up to the northern part of Japan. The blooming time is only for a week or two. What makes cherry blossoms even more attractive is that they are so fragile, short-lived and scatter their petals just a few days after they flower.
In Japan, every year on the 3rd of March we celebrate Hinamatsuri. It is a celebration of girls, and some say this Japanese traditional custom started in the Heian period which is over 1,000 years ago. Hinamatsuri is a celebration where parents wish and pray for the happiness and health of their daughters by displaying special Hina dolls on red cloth covered platforms.
Setsubun “節分” is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan (This year it was 2nd February). On this day, we throw soybeans to Oni (demons) while shouting “Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi! (Devils out, Fortune in!)”.
The centuries old Takayama festival apparently started in the 17th century. There is little documented history about the start of the event, it is held to commemorate a good harvest. One of the largest festivals in Japan, it is a spectacle not to miss.
July 7th is called Tanabata or Star Festival in Japan. The star festival is celebrated in the streets of cities and towns all over Japan. We were fortunate enough to be in Asakusa (Tokyo) on the 7th of July and experienced the fun and colour of a parade and decorated streets.
